


Dreams Made of Milkshakes

by NZStella



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Study, Fantasy, Lucid Dreaming, M/M, Minor Violence, Mystery, Slow Build, Smoking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-30
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-01-27 14:25:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 77,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1713854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NZStella/pseuds/NZStella
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mayuzumi has begun dreaming of paradises, only to find a certain problematic teen make his way into them. Pleasant dreams are far away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The area around him wasn't his school. Shouldn't people dream up of their school, or at least schools they've attended? Kuroko shook his head, ridding himself of those trivial thoughts. It wasn't that odd, it just looked like any other high school, except it definitely wasn't Seirin.

He was in a school hallway, somewhere on the second floor, judging by the classroom number signs. It was nice though, the dream was more vivid than his usual dreams, which were blurred or never remembered. The atmosphere was nice as well, with a beautiful morning sunshine streaming through the many windows to his right. Kuroko tilted his head towards the windows, breathing in the clean breeze that drifted in.

"Why are you here, of all people?" a voice said, in barely controlled scorn.

Oh no.

Kuroko blinked, turning to face an unfriendly visage of the silver eyed Rakuzan senior. He stared at a loss of words, wondering himself. Why would Mayuzumi appear in his dreams?

Waiting irritably with no reply, Mayuzumi sighed and spun away. "Whatever, just stay out of my sight," then he proceeded to walk away in the direction he came from.

Kuroko was about to stop him and ask where exactly he was, but thought twice and stopped himself. Who needed a snarky senior? Not him. Plus, this was a dream. Most of the time, you never got a setting you understood. Kuroko didn't know what his problem was with the senior, but everything about him rubbed Kuroko the wrong way. It didn't help that after the Winter Cup finals, they parted on less than cordial terms.

 _'An aversion to your own kin…'_  Kuroko thought back to Takao's words fleetingly, and looked back outside, deciding to just enjoy the view.

* * *

Mayuzumi was in a bad mood.

Of all people to come and disturb his dreams, it had to be the old model of the Phantom Sixth man, with a penchant for turning basketball games into absolute chaos.

For a while now, the senior had been experiencing lucid dreams that he took full advantage of, and used as huge stress relief. With the loss of Rakuzan at the Winter Cup, Akashi only took it a step farther and doubled their regular training menu. He no longer had time for leisure and to enjoy his light novels. He didn't know how he did it, but his brain managed to not only make new stories for him to enjoy, but conjured up panoramas of the environment around him. With a little brain power, he would be able change the location in his dreams. Oddly enough, these dreams started after the Winter Cup, so it was almost like these dreams were made to combat Akashi's training regimen.

What he didn't expect was a certain blue haired nuisance to come strolling in. Quiet as he may be, he was still trespassing.

Why can't he read in peace for once? His own mind was turning against him now.

He sighed once again as he reached the roof, pulling out a light novel from his uniform's back pocket.

Looking out towards the scenery viewed from the roof, he let a content smile stretch on his face. He walked closer to the chained fence blocking anyone from falling off, and peered down below. He admitted he was surprised at what he saw.

Down below, instead of the regular courtyard of the school, there was a huge pool that stretched across. He couldn't tell from here if the pool ran into the building, but he didn't doubt it. Tiny colorful aquatic creatures swam around in the shimmering waters, other forms of marine life swaying deeper into the waters. It didn't appear too deep, maybe ten feet at most, but Mayuzumi really couldn't tell with a bird's eye view.

He was tempted to just dive from the roof, uniform and all, but he didn't have too much experience swimming, so it most likely wouldn't go  _swimmingly_. He might also just crack his head open hitting the bottom of the pool.

He turned away from the beautiful sight, and lethargically sat down, leaning back against the chain link fence. Peering at the light novel's cover, he saw a picture of a girl in a battle stance materialize from a once blank cover. Not really his style, but he'll give it a try.

He opened up the book and began to read.

* * *

After getting rather bored of gazing outside the window, Kuroko had heard the quiet sound of running water below. He then noticed the huge pool that looked very out of place in the school courtyard, but was another wonderful sight nonetheless.

He immediately turned to walk briskly down the hallways, trying to find a set of stairs. Finding them, he realized these were the steps Mayuzumi had taken, so if he took the wrong way, he might end up meeting the senior again.

As much as Kuroko didn't want to confront him again, he decided that as long as they ignored each other, it'd be fine.

He descended the stairs quickly, surprising himself with how much vigor he had. Dreams usually weren't anything to get excited over, but to Kuroko, this was like a once in a lifetime opportunity. His dreams were never this vivid, and he wanted to take the chance to enjoy it.

Kuroko reached the bottom floor, shocked to see that the whole floor was submerged in about six inch deep water. He paused a few steps up from the bottom, taking the time to roll up his pants, take off his shoes and socks, and set them neatly in the corner of the steps.

He poked a toe in the water, testing the temperature. When he found that it was almost warm, he eagerly stepped in, and began to tread out towards the front doors.

Before reaching the doors, a little blue fish swam up to him, and Kuroko stopped to squat down and stare at its shimmering scales. He let a small smile grace his features, and stretched a finger down near the mouth of the fish. The creature nibbled at his finger.

He stood up, deciding to take off his gakuran. He walked back to the stairs, and folded it nicely before setting it down near his shoes. Rolling up his sleeves, he walked back to the fish and passed it, hoping it would follow.

Noticing that it did indeed start swimming after him, Kuroko pushed open the already slightly ajar doors to see a much deeper pool out front. It looked to be at least twice his height.

The blue fish swam past him and away, mixing in with fish in a variety of colors, all with different appendages and patterns adorned on their bodies.

It wasn't only fish though. There were frogs, turtles, starfish, and plants all in an assortment of colors. Trying to look down deeper through the water, Kuroko squinted to see slightly larger silhouettes down towards the bottom. He slowly inched himself in, not really wanting to get wet, but not wanting to miss this chance. He decided to go for it.

He first sat down at the ledge where the deep water began, and pushed himself off and began treading in the water. He heard squeaking sounds nearby, and curious as he was, he swam around a corner to see…

Otters?

There were three otters chattering animatedly, almost like they were engaged in a conversation.

Kuroko was hesitant to approach them, but realized it was too late when one otter noticed him and swam over itself. The others proceeded to swim away, diving underneath.

The less shy otter stared at Kuroko, and Kuroko found himself frozen under the otter's unwavering gaze.

The otter squeaked.

Kuroko blinked back. "Hello."

The otter dove underwater, as he gazed after the retreating figure of the animal. After a few moments, the otter resurfaced, holding a clam and rock. It floated onto its back, placing the clam on its belly and using the rock to smash the clam.

Kuroko watched in wonder, mesmerized to see such a phenomenon up close and personal.

The otter successfully broke open the clam, and proceeded to feast on it. Kuroko slowly inched closer, still watching with great scrutiny.

The otter chattered as it finished eating, and taking notice of Kuroko, held the empty clam for the blue eyed teen to take.

Surprised, Kuroko accepted the clam, inspecting its contents. No pearl, but it was clean without any traces of meat.

At that moment, the clam slipped out of his hands, as he was suddenly grabbed by the leg from underneath, which pulled him under.

Kuroko panicked, and began coughing, bubbles of air streaming out of his mouth. He attempted to resurface, needing oxygen. He kicked his bound leg, yet was pulled down further. He struggled, and managed to get a look at what was pulling his leg.

A large octopus had its tentacle wrapped around his leg, and no matter how much Kuroko struggled, he couldn't free himself. He managed to resurface with a panicked shout, and used this to his advantage to propel himself back down towards the octopus, kicking it in the head with his free leg.

The octopus let out a stream of black ink, releasing Kuroko from its hold. Kuroko fought for air, wasting no time in trying to swim back up. Having lost plenty of energy though, he found himself seeing a figure above the water before blacking out.

* * *

"Stupid," the silver eyed senior muttered, as he pulled himself and the younger teen's body out from the pool. He questioned to himself if he really even needed to save the brat. After all, this was a dream, right?

That's what he told himself, and he totally did not panic when he saw the blue haired Phantom Player get pulled under.

At least he had good hearing, and had noticed when the younger teen had begun swimming around below. Nonetheless, the brat always finds his way into trouble. First he lost his misdirection during their match, then he found his way into his dreams, then this.

He set Kuroko against the stairs, as he plopped himself down beside him, slightly drained from saving the younger's ungrateful ass.

…

He didn't have to perform CPR, did he?

Mayuzumi shook his head vehemently to one, get rid of the water in his hair, and two, to deny himself of ever touching lips with the other. Dear lord,  _no_.

The senior sighed heavily, his eyes sliding over to the resting face of Kuroko. He already knew that his upcoming dreams would cease being peaceful altogether.

And he dropped his light novel in the pool, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened this ship reigned me in and took control ugh.
> 
> Before I claim anything, this is not completely my own idea. There was a Naruto fic I read in the past that had this dream idea. I never finished it, and I forgot the name. This will be pretty different from that one though.
> 
> I admit I had been planning this for a while but the tipping point was jarofclay (she was posting stuff on tumblr and I succumbed). Either way, thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both Phantom Players have a hard time staying awake in class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos!  
> Hopefully I won't disappoint, haha.

Mayuzumi woke up feeling like the wind was knocked out of him. The very first detailed dream he had after the Winter Cup had come as a surprise. The events whilst dreaming could be remembered down to a T, novels and all. After experiencing that, he realized he had better memory sleeping than while awake, which was useful, but just didn't sit well with him. It wasn't too much of an issue though, he had heard of lucid dreaming before. Some people probably only experience lucid dreams.

What he didn't want was anyone coming in. Before Kuroko appeared, he was in a world of serene solitude. Just why were his dreams now torturing him as well?

He rubbed at his eyes with one hand, the other pushing back the sheets. At least he managed a decent amount of sleep. The bad part was the he felt wearier than usual. He woke up in the nick of time, a few minutes before his alarm normally went off.

Although he still didn't want to get up.

He flipped over to muffle groans in his pillow, already beginning to dread training today. Finally mustering up the energy to stand up, he dragged himself over to the window to noisily open it up and let fresh air filter in. Birds chirped merrily nearby, denoting that spring was right around the corner.

If only he was a bird. Then he wouldn't have to ever deal with bratty red heads and basketball idiots.

Look at him. He's contemplating becoming a bird bright and early in the morning. If this wasn't the epitome of pitiful, he didn't know what was.

Well, his kouhais never truly respected him. There was never a rude awakening when it came to that.

As his thoughts trailed down that road, he made his way towards the bathroom to wash up. Stretching and popping his neck, he reminded himself not to strain his neck so much while reading. Suspending it in one spot for a whole lunch period was a bad habit of his.

He turned on the faucet and began splashing cold water onto his face. While it did serve to wake him up, he regret that it brought memories of last night up forth. Sympathy never really suited him.

As he cranked off the faucet, he stared down the drain with his hands resting on the handles.  _'Kuroko, huh...'_

Akashi had always said they were similar, but all he saw was a shitty basketball player who couldn't do anything independently.

Sure, Seirin had won the Winter Cup. It was wrong to say Kuroko hadn't contributed to their win. After all, he figured out how to counteract Akashi's Emporer Eye, which was a feat in itself. However, he would have not done so had Kagami not been in the Zone like Akashi.

No wait, that's not quite right.

Mayuzumi glared at his reflection, before he grabbed his toothbrush and towel.

It was because both Kagami  _and_  Kuroko were there, fighting together as teammates.

It would be a lie to say that he didn't learn anything from Kuroko's example. Not only with controlling misdirection, but also grasping the concept of working towards a goal with your teammates, which was something Akashi ignored. But, he was guilty of that as well. He never rejoined the team with a plan to make friends. He knew he was a chess piece in Akashi's game, and nothing more than that. So it wasn't eye-opening that he didn't particularly care about victory.

Seirin was a prime example of a team's well-earned victory, worthy of cheer and celebration.

It would also be a lie to say that he didn't at least consider changing his morals to be more like Kuroko's.

Old habits die hard, though. Either that or he just didn't care enough.

But maybe this was why he didn't immediately quit the basketball club after their loss at the Winter Cup.

…Maybe this was also why Kuroko showed up. Either it was his brain attempting to balance out giving him the blessing of lucid dreaming, or it was reflecting the consequences of his decision to continue basketball. Most likely the latter, since he'd admit the younger teen had been crossing his mind as of late.

But what would his dreams do? Teach him a new lesson? He was going to make himself laugh at this rate.

And that was when the senior realized he was already dressed and finishing his breakfast, ready to go to another day of school. He tilted his head back, taking a deep breath.

He was thinking much too hard early in the morning. Maybe he should take up that idea of becoming a bird.

He sighed to himself, grabbing his keys.

As he opened the front door of his apartment, he turned back to stare at his empty home.

"I'll be going now," he said to no one in particular.

* * *

"Are you okay, Kuroko?" Kagami turned around in his seat before the start of school, having slowly gotten used to being aware of his teammate's presence. "You look like shit."

Kuroko stared sleepily at the red head, blinking a few times to rid himself of any attempt to catch some Z's. He didn't think the bags under his eyes were evident enough, but Kuroko guessed that Kagami took note of his slightly more disheveled hair. He didn't manage to tame his bedhead this morning.

Had he felt more sarcastic, he would've said something along the lines of, "Thank you for your input, Kagami-kun," but today, it was just "…I'm fine, Kagami-kun."

Kagami stared at him, unimpressed. What a blatant lie. "Did you have nightmares or something?"

Kuroko pondered pinching himself to stay awake, but forced himself to answer the other. "If you want to call it a nightmare, then yes."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that by Kagami-kun's standards, it would be a nightmare. You are easily scared of dogs, and my dream included quite a few."

Kagami grimaced, visibly offended. "Of course I wouldn't be scared! Nightmares about dogs are different than reality!"

"If it really was different, then you'd be calling them dreams instead of nightmares, Kagami-kun."

Kagami was about to retort, only to be cut off by the ringing bell. He grit his teeth in irritation, pointing an accusatory finger at his friend. He seemed to say,  _'I'll get you next time!'_ His face then briefly changed to something to that of worry, before turning back around to face the front.

Kuroko sat down as well, amused at Kagami's antics, but all in all, appreciative that the other took the time to detect that something was off. He didn't mean to lie. Teasing the red head was just much too tempting. Sometimes he was a real Bakagami, but this time, Kuroko could only give a grateful smile to the back of a mop of red hair.

Filing through his book bag, he took out his notebook and pencil.

Kuroko had not meant to lose so much sleep. Usually upon waking up, he could recall any possible dreams he had that night, only to start forgetting bits and pieces within the first hour. It wasn't something he minded though. His dreams never were too coherent to begin with. They were typically banal, nothing even particularly worth remembering.

Which was why after experiencing a dream of that caliber last night, Kuroko could only toss and turn after regaining consciousness. He'd never been able to control his own movement at will while dreaming. All in all, last night was stressful. The events that transpired inside his head were imprinted deep, displaying across his eyes as he stared with an unfocused gaze at the ceiling. It was like a bad film stuck on repeat. It tortured him so that he was stuck wanting some much needed shut-eye, yet also wanting to avoid further nightmares. He never had anything against octopus before, but now he wasn't so sure.

In the end, he wasn't surprised when he only managed about four hours of sleep, and his eyes were more bloodshot than they had ever been in years.

He managed to easily hide any traces of a late night with eyedrops, but by using time to rummage through all his cabinets for them, he forgot he needed to tend to his terrible hair.

It didn't help his already worn out brain that he was confused on why Mayuzumi could've possibly shown up in his subconsciousness. He didn't even usually dream of anyone. Sometimes, but rarely, people from Seirin made a cameo. He couldn't fathom any reason why a senior from another school, that he only met once, would make his grouchy way into his first lucid dream.

At least he behaved like the senior would. Mayuzumi with an amiable personality would've made Kuroko uncomfortable. He would've probably even hid in the nearest trash can just to avoid him. Thank god for his low presence.

Wait.

Kuroko stopped jotting down notes from the teacher's lesson.

The two weren't correlated in some way, were they?

He didn't count on it, although it was almost scary when he realized he could control his actions in a dream at the same time he started dreaming of Mayuzumi. Just what was his mind trying to tell him?

He really didn't have enough energy to think whether this was a sign or a mere coincidence, though.

As the teacher droned on about a lesson, Kuroko struggled to retain awareness. With his chin resting on his palm, Kuroko fell into a deep sleep.

Invisible as he may be, Kagami being seated in front of him was a blessing in more ways than one.

* * *

As Mayuzumi sat in class trying to pay attention to the teacher's lecture about making the right choices after graduating high school, he found his thoughts focused on anything but school related.

' _Am I developing…narcolepsy?'_

He mentally cursed as his eyes drooped, head slipping from his fist again for the fourth time in thirty minutes.

This was getting ridiculous.

Having already felt drowsy upon waking up this morning, he'd made sure to get a healthy breakfast and some coffee. Coffee was not supposed to make you sleepier. He's definitely never been this drowsy in his life, even on the nights he nearly pulled an all-nighter for homework.

He hoped this wouldn't become permanent. He really did not need more problems arising just on the verge of entering a university.

' _Damn it…I give up,'_ was his only thought as he succumbed.

* * *

Yeah, no.

Mayuzumi wondered if he held his breath, he could suffocate to wake himself up. It'd be better than going through all this again.

He ended up in a lush forest area this time, with plenty of sunlight streaming through the leaves as they swayed gently in the wind. While the sunlight illuminated everything beautifully, it was not eye achingly bright, but comfortable. The air was cool, with the smell of summer being right around the corner. He could hear water running in the distance. A waterfall, maybe?

But what caught his eye first was the familiar baby blue haired brat in the distance. He was facing away on a tire swing attached to an exceptionally large tree. The tree branched out wide, and could have almost substituted for a canopy. The roots were also thick, jutting out from underneath and curling across the hill the tree grew upon. The hill looked manmade, for there was an identical one across it, a pathway paved in between to separate the hills. Mayuzumi had entered the dream facing the pathway, a cozy looking cabin behind him.

The Seirin freshman continued swinging, not having noticed that the senior had arrived.

To be honest, it almost surprised Mayuzumi on how easily he spotted Kuroko. Shouldn't he have at least had a bit of trouble? He wasn't standing out very much, but wasn't his presence even smaller than his own?

Well, that wasn't important right now. What he needed to decide was whether to escape when he had the chance, or confront the other.

He didn't find talking to Kuroko to be very preferable. And honestly, he didn't care much about socializing here. He shouldn't care, since his actions here wouldn't affect the real world.

Exploring was more tempting, but he'd have to sneak by in order to get anywhere. He patted his back pocket for any light novel.

Nothing.

He tsked. What if he tried to make a light novel? This was a dream, after all.

Holding his hand out, Mayuzumi closed his eyes and focused like when he willingly changed the scenery. First, he'd try and make a book.

He felt a weight drop into his hand. Peeking open one eye, a blank, white book was found in his hand. Nice. Now to imagine a cover and let his brain do the rest of the work…

"What are you doing?"

Oh, he should've expected this. Take your eyes off the original Phantom Player and it's like he teleports.

Mayuzumi ignored him. Maybe if he stood like a statue, the other would leave him alone.

"Please do not ignore me, Mayuzumi-san."

Mayuzumi finally opened his eyes, glancing at Kuroko.  _'Happy?'_ he thought.

"I saw you form that book out of nowhere. May I ask how you did that?" Kuroko turned ever blank eyes at the book, but Mayuzumi noticed genuine interest.

"May I ask why you want to know?" he shot back with a clipped, forcefully polite tone.

The younger teen's eyes narrowed the slightest bit, obviously not liking the senior's attitude. "I think it would be useful to know."

Mayuzumi turned suspicious. Why would Kuroko want to know, if he was already part of his dreams? Shouldn't he already be able to do that himself?

Reluctantly, he gave in. "Focus on trying to make it by picturing it in your mind," he demonstrated his instructions, and a cover appeared on the book. "That's how I do it."  _'And leave me alone.'_ He wanted to add as an afterthought.

Kuroko blinked. He wasn't expecting for the senior to actually tell him. He seemed much too centered on his own interests to actually consider helping others. Kuroko dismissed it, instead just attempting it himself.

He focused like the other had said, and wondered on what he could create. Vanilla milkshake, or a novel?

Vanilla milkshake, always.

Focusing hard to picture a cold, freshly made glass of milkshake, he didn't notice the temperature slowly dropping, until he felt a clonk to the head.

"Kuroko."

Kuroko blinked rapidly, slowly taking in his surroundings. He made a questioning sound, rubbing at his eyes.

"You fell asleep, idiot. What would you have done if the teacher realized?" Kagami's face held a hint of disapproval, bordering on nervous.

"…Then Kagami-kun would've woken me up, just like he did now," Kuroko sleepily replied, although feeling a bit more refreshed.

"I'm not here to help you sleep!"

Kuroko's lips turned up a fraction. "I'm still grateful that you warded off any punishments by the teacher for me, Kagami-kun."

Kagami froze, before stuttering out, "Sh-shut up, how'd you even know?"

Kuroko's baby blue eyes shined.

* * *

That was weird.

Apparently his own method of changing the environment didn't quite work the way it did with Kuroko. Mayuzumi didn't know what the other was trying to make, but he was sure the other wasn't trying to drop the temperature around them.

Little frozen ice shards now were beginning to melt on the forest floor, and the temperature was slowly reverting back to normal. Mayuzumi had called for Kuroko to stop, but the other was lost in his own world, unknowingly freezing the air around him. In the end, he threw his light novel and hit the other in the head, and Kuroko had vanished immediately.

That was the weird part. Why did Kuroko disappear like that?

Though right now wasn't really the time to mull over dream events. He had to wake up or else he'd probably sleep through his next period.

Mayuzumi pulled at his cheek.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, I hope I'm not making Mayuzumi too out of character.   
> Anyway, I'm sorry this chapter doesn't have much interaction. This was to focus on sorting out issues and reveals a bit about the dreams and how they work. I will assure you guys that the dreams will become...more interesting, lol.
> 
> Finally, if you have the time, please suggest locations that should appear in the dreams. I might pick yours if I find it suitable!  
> Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagami provides some useful advice, and forest dreams continue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos! I’ve recently started summer break, but I‘m busier than ever. This’ll probably be the last chapter before I start updating irregularly. But not too irregularly, I hope.
> 
> If KagaKuro friendship isn’t your thing, you might wanna turn back now. I promise that this will be as much KagaKuro I’ll make in this story, though.

“What is common in all these dreams is obvious. They completely satisfy wishes excited during the day which remain unrealized. They are simply and undisguisedly realizations of wishes.” –Sigmund Freud,  _The Interpretation of Dreams_

* * *

“Kuroko-kun!”

Kuroko straightened up from his stretched position, tilting his head to face his coach, Riko. With a clipboard in her hand, a pencil in another, she asked, “Have you been getting enough rest lately?”

Ah. He almost forgot that Riko’s specialty was recognizing physical performance output. There was no lying at this point. He thought she wouldn’t have noticed or minded, though. After all, he felt that he did just as well during practice today.

“I didn’t get as much sleep last night as I normally do, but it was only for one night,” Kuroko continued stretching, wanting to get rid of the burn in his calves.

Riko paused to look down at her clipboard, examining it. “You may have not realized it, but your reaction time today was much slower. I just wanted to tell you that,” she mulled something over in her head, biting her lip. “If you don’t mind me asking, why did you lose sleep last night?”

Kuroko stiffened. He wanted to avoid any confrontation about the dreams altogether. Kagami had even asked about it again before the start of practice, but he managed to worm his way out of that one. Vaguely, he replied, “I was kept awake after experiencing a weird dream.”

“Weird dream?”

He chose his words carefully. “It was…unsettling. It made me think about things I haven’t noticed prior to it,” while Kuroko tried to maintain an ever deadpan voice, he still had trouble finding a better word to describe it without going into detail.

His coach pursed her lips, not liking the answer. “Well, all right. Just know that if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here,” her words were warmhearted, and held the utmost truth in them.

Kuroko blinked, not quite expecting such an answer, but did not go at all unappreciated. “Thank you, coach. I’ll keep that in mind,” while his face remained blank as always, Riko could still see the happiness in his eyes.

Riko nodded affirmatively before she turned away.

Kuroko wasted no time in continuing to stretch. Today had been a rather hard workout, and halfway he was about ready to collapse face first down on the floor again. But like always, he trudged on forward.

Today wasn’t a good day to just trudge, though.

Because Riko had given him that recent feedback, Kuroko couldn’t help but point fingers at his so called weird dreams. They were definitely out of the ordinary, that’s for sure. And it looks like they’d be continuing, if his little nap during the morning was anything to go off of. He’d admit he liked the lucid dreams. He could just go without the extra package-namely person- though.

When he entered the dream world again, he felt almost too isolated. The scenery served as good distraction, though. The huge tree that looked to be out of a fairy tale, the long tire swing attached to it, and the all-around ambience of the forest was a sight to behold.

Something was missing, though. And Kuroko knew exactly what.

He just wanted to keep denying it.

After he had been lazily swinging on the tire swing and admiring the view for a good amount of time, a certain shift in the air could be felt. Kuroko had a good guess as to what it was, because the air suddenly felt more…complete, for a lack of a better term.

It took him a bit to locate the newcomer, which made Kuroko question if Mayuzumi’s misdirection was getting better, or his observation skills were getting rustier, but he knew the latter couldn’t be true.

It was impressive to see the senior make a book drop into his hands from thin air. And, being curious as he is, went on ahead to ask the other. There weren’t consequences in dreams, so why not?

Even so, after Kuroko was rudely woken up by a hit on the head, he did feel more energized. Unfortunately, that energy only lasted about one hour before he became sleepy yet again.

Riko’s training menu today drained him of the remaining energy, only to knock it back in full force after practice was over. Sometimes, Kuroko was grateful for her strict regimen.

“Hey, you’ve been avoiding my question all day. Just what exactly did you dream about?”

Baby blue eyes peered up at his taller friend walking alongside him. Kuroko didn’t fail to see the hesitation on Kagami’s face. Kagami really was like an open book, with important traits already highlighted on the pages for Kuroko to read. Well, it’s now or never.

“Kagami-kun, what kind of dreams do you have?”

The redhead regarded Kuroko carefully. “I asked you first.”

Kuroko stopped walking, turning to face the other square on. “I will tell you, even if you aren’t willing to share. I’m wondering right now. As I said to coach earlier, I had an odd dream last night that kept me awake. I’d like to know what others undergo, since it’s the first time I’ve been troubled over a mere dream.”

Kagami raised a forked brow, even more intrigued now. “My dreams aren’t anything I pay attention to. Most of the time, I don’t dream. Or at least, I can’t remember them. Other times I eat food, or even play basketball,” a grin stretched on his face as he went on, and Kuroko could tell he was getting excited. Then he turned slightly sheepish.  “I’ve slammed dunk my pillow on the floor a few times, though.”

...

A breath of air escapes Kuroko.

Kagami’s expression made a one eighty and turned resentful. “Oi! Don’t laugh!”

“…It’s just that…Kagami-kun can really be a basketball idiot,” Kuroko paused to recompose himself from letting more laughter slip out.

“And you aren’t?” the redhead jabbed back, but was smirking nonetheless.

“Please do not equate me down onto the same level as you.”

“You little…” Kagami grit out menacingly, vein popping out. Grabbing ahold of Kuroko’s head, he pulled him into a headlock. “You’re a real pain, y’know that?” he growled out, tightening his hold on the other.

“That hurts, Kagami-kun,” Kuroko deadpans, letting a small smile flit across his face, not at all in pain.

Kagami merely grinned, pleased he could get a reaction out of the shorter one. With one last ruffle of light blue haired locks, he released the other. “Race you to Majiba!”

While Kuroko was startled, Kagami took the chance to take off towards the fast food restaurant, a burst of renewed vitality surging through him. Blue eyes stared at the retreating figure, eyes turning warm. Quickly, he collected the last of his energy, and chased after Kagami.

* * *

Kagami hums while he contemplates. "So it’s like that, huh?” said Kagami through a mouthful of cheeseburger.

“Yes,” Kuroko clarified.

The shorter teen had just finished explaining his dreams to the redhead after waiting patiently for their orders to come. Kuroko had decided to leave out anything involving Mayuzumi in the dreams. After all, what was important here was why he was suddenly experiencing lucid dreaming.

As usual, Kagami had a mountain of burgers, while Kuroko had his shake. Though, one burger was on Kuroko’s side of the table, as the big eater was set on having the other eat more. He’d sit here and wait just to get the other to eat if he had to!

Kagami chewed slowly, which was a first. He seemed to contemplate the information given to him, before he swallowed down another burger, crinkling up the wrapper.

“Well, I’m not the kind of person to ask about this, of course. Aquatic creatures last night, and then a forest area in class earlier? Why don’t you try asking Midorima or something, this seems like something he’d be interested in,” Kagami sat with a bored look on his face, idly playing with the wrapper in his hands.

“Midorima-kun may have an odd affinity for fortune, but this hardly applies here, Kagami-kun,” Kuroko sipped his shake, reminding himself of the dream he had earlier today.

Red eyes darted across the restaurant, as if looking for something. Kagami made a humming noise, still pondering. Finally, an idea struck him, his eyes widening in revelation. “What about Momoi? She’s good at analyzing things, right?” he seemed to rethink that choice, for his voice lost enthusiasm as he said, “wait, she’s only good at analyzing things she’s collected data on.”

Kuroko stopped and looked up from his drink. He stared hard into red eyes as they shifted away, off put.

“What’s it to you?” Kagami managed without stuttering.

“...That might be a good idea,” blank blue eyes looked away, as his hands twitched to reach for his cell phone. “I’ll think it over first, but that might work. Thank you, Kagami-kun.”

“No problem…I guess?” His brow rose again, not sure if it really was a good idea. “If you contact her though, won’t she want to use it as a chance for a date?”

“I don’t mind if Momoi-san does take it that way. I will only ask for us to meet somewhere,” Kuroko began unwrapping his own burger.

Kagami still regarded the other with a questioning look, but quickly dropped it as he realized what the other was about to do. “Wait, you’re actually going to eat it without me forcing you?!” he pointed at the unwrapped burger.

“You bought it for me, after all,” Kuroko stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The other sighed and shook his head. “Whatever. Just finish it,” a subtle, but pleased smile made its way onto Kagami’s face.

 Kuroko dug in.

 

* * *

If Kuroko were any other person, he would have probably crashed ungracefully to the ground at his doorstep when he arrived home. He wanted nothing more than that, but he knew he’d just wake up with a headache from sleeping on the hard floor.

So instead, he dragged himself to his bed after dumping most of his things hastily at the foot of his bed. Too tired to do anything but just crawl under the covers, he briefly reminded himself to contact Momoi sometime, and clean up when it was morning.

And just like that, he was out like a light.

* * *

Not again.

Silver eyes observed his surroundings, noticing that once again, he fell asleep.

After practice, Mayuzumi had speedily made his way home, knowing he had a lot of work to do tonight. He had come home and immediately started on homework. However, towards about seven P.M., the heavy drowsiness he experienced earlier in class came back, attacking him when he least wanted it. It was a whole lot stronger this time as well, and before he knew it, his eyelids drooped shut.

He was back in the forest, atop another a ledge at a clearing. Except this time, a bright, almost luminescent crescent moon replaced the sun. It was huge, like it was pushed thousands of miles closer. The night sky looked to come from a painting, dyed with a mixture of blues, purples, and pinks. Stars glistened gold and pink, scattered to create a picture of a whole new universe in the heavens. A cluster of them was found strewn across, forming a cloud of stars. Some wisps of clouds were floating around, but were not enough to distract from the breathtaking sight.  He wouldn’t deny that it was beautiful, especially since the forest’s environment looked much prettier at night. The whole forest was bathed in a calming bluish-purple hue. The temperature was cooler, the same soft breeze rustled through the leaves, cricket chirps replaced the songs of birds, and fireflies danced all around, illuminating darker areas of the forest.

To top it all off, the brat was nowhere to be found.

Mayuzumi tried focusing, and, surprisingly enough, was able to pinpoint the others location. Kuroko was somewhere deeper into the trees, probably exploring.

Although the last two times, Mayuzumi wanted nothing to do with the other, a new curiosity arose within him. Just how did Kuroko begin creating ice earlier?

The senior walked into the trees, reflecting on what transpired. First, he told Kuroko to focus on creating something. He didn’t know what the other wanted, but it was a good guess to say it wasn’t ice. He held out his hand, trying his own luck at making it. He scrunched his eyelids together, and pictured freezing temperatures, concentrated into one single point.

An ice ball the size of a baseball dropped into his palm. Mayuzumi tested its weight, registering that it was quite heavy. As he continued to walk through the trees, fireflies lit up a pathway for him, and he chucked the ball against a tree, smashing it against the trunk in an explosion of ice. He walked up the tree, examining it. It wasn't particularly tall or thick. There was a small crack forming, as if the ice ball had opened up a hole in the trunk.

What if Mayuzumi tries freezing the tree?

Mayuzumi rubbed at his hand, warming it up a tad, then placed it against the bark, picturing ice like he did earlier. He opened one eye after feeling the ice forming underneath his palm. The ice spread outward from his hand, encasing the bark slowly, but surely. Soon enough, it reached the leaves, which steadily began frosting over.

He reached up to touch a leaf, which broke upon contact. He raised a brow, and pulled to easily crack off a branch. He waved it around, getting used to the weight. Could he make this a weapon?

He touched the tip of the branch, and pictured a blade forming in place of it. The branch cracked, shaping itself into a double edged sword. It looked sturdy, still frosted over with ice. Gripping the hilt, silver eyes narrowed in concentration as he gathered strength and swung the weapon. He shattered the ice on the tree and made a rather deep cut into the bark. The rest of the ice cracked, and the tree collapsed in on itself.

Mayuzumi took a slow breath, becoming aware that he was drained of energy. Cutting into a tree shouldn’t be this difficult, so why was he so tired? He dropped the sword, putting his hands on his hips to help balance himself as he tried to catch his breath. He spared a glance at the sword, noticing it was still unblemished. Nevertheless, maybe he should take it easy.

He heard something shift in the shrubbery.

Mayuzumi tensed, as his silver eyes darted around for any signs of movement.

Something shuffled again, and then there was a series of retreating steps deeper into the forest.

Curious, Mayuzumi bent down to pick up his sword, steadying himself. He tried evening his breathing, before he took off in the direction of the fading sounds.

As he maneuvered through the thicket, branches, vines, and roots began clumping more frequently, obstructing the pathway and hindering his movement.

He hacked away at the offending tendrils, growing more and more agitated and weary.

Gritting his teeth, he gathered strength to make one final slice through the shrubs, and sprinted forward, noticing a clearing up ahead. Almost there…!

He tripped over a root that seemed to appear out of nowhere in the shadows, and he stumbled his way into the clearing. He only managed to stabilize himself by planting his sword in the ground. Wobbling, he kneeled down, taking huge gasps of air. It still struck him as odd that he was this exhausted. He could race across basketball courts like no tomorrow, so maybe his stamina was lower in dreams? If that was the case, then it makes sense. Sleep is for the purpose of recharging energy, not expending it. He really should watch it now, or else he’ll find himself falling asleep in class more often.

“Ah.”

Silver eyes looked up at the new voice, only to stop and stare almost comically at the odd sight.

_What._

Kuroko sat at the foot of a small tree in the clearing, a field of a variety of flowers growing all around him. An antlerless deer stood, poised like it had been startled. A fawn peered out from behind their mother, also quivering a bit. A small waterfall calmly ran behind Kuroko, a lake pooling and forming a river that ran back into the forest.

But what really made Mayuzumi react in such a way was…

“Why do you have a flower crown on?”

Kuroko blinked, his expression unreadable. The crown was made of mainly kelp strands, but had a few lily petals woven in as well. He turned to the deer and her child, giving a reassuring smile, which they then took as the cue to relax and sit back down. Then he turned to the lake, and spoke in a calming voice. “There’s no need to be shy, you can come out.”

Mayuzumi stared, confused, before his eyes widened in awe.

The water churned, and it rose up to form a vague humanoid shape of a woman. A trident formed in her hands, the water giving way to reveal a sea green dress and flawless teal skin. The water spirit gave a pleasant sighing sound, as it spun the trident and hooked it behind her back. It turned what seemed to be its eyes at Mayuzumi, giving a shy smile.

Kuroko tilted his head up this time, with an almost nonexistent smile on his face. “All of you can come out as well.”

Balls of light darted out from the trees, and Mayuzumi slowly walked closer to see they were not fireflies, but sprites.

The senior stepped carefully, not wanting to disturb the peace that had settled around him.

“To answer your question, the undine here made it for me,” Kuroko clarified, as he went back to weaving what looked to be like another flower crown.

Mayuzumi looked at the other questioningly. “Undine?”

“The pretty water spirit behind me."

Said undine covered her face in her hands, thankful for the compliment.

Silver eyes still looked confused, albeit Mayuzumi gave a hesitant smile in spite of it. He paused to dig the sword in the ground, walking back as he had nothing better to do. A sprite came over to him, and he held his pointer finger out uncertainly. The shimmering fairy circled his finger, before landing on the tip like a butterfly.

The senior carefully sat down, finger still suspended for the sprite. More sprites came closer, floating indolently by him and Kuroko. His interest got the better of him, and he asked, “Just what exactly happened here?”

Baby blue eyes finally looked up at him. Kuroko plucked another flower beside him before answering the other. “I found this place after following the mother deer. After that, I befriended this dryad here.”

Once again, Mayuzumi tilted a brow, puzzled. The sprite flew off his finger, and he put his hand down.

Kuroko pointed at the small tree they sat under, and Mayuzumi distinguished a woman in the branches for the first time, dangling by her feet. Her long, dark green hair was loose and hanging, her skin a reddish-brown like the bark of her tree. She had a carefree smile on, as she swung herself across one branch to another.

“From there, I met the undine, and the sprites began gathering around here. They were scared off the moment you made your entrance,” Kuroko tone reflected amusement, and he turned to the undine. “Here, all done,” he handed the well-crafted flower crown to the water spirit, giving a friendly smile.

Mayuzumi stared in wonderment as the undine accepted the gift graciously, immediately donning it on her head.

“Would you like one as well?” Kuroko asked as he started on another, two flowers already tied together.

The senior stared at him like it was some sort of bad joke, which it probably was. “I’ll pass,” Mayuzumi looked away, giving an uncomfortable smile.

The fawn made its way over to Mayuzumi, the mother still sitting beside Kuroko. It paused to stare at him, while he nervously stared back. Apprehensively, he reached his hand out for the fawn, and in turn, the deer licked it. Assured, the creature sat down next to him, resting its head on his leg.

“Why did you come rushing over here like that?” Kuroko idly said, attention still drawn to the craft in his hands.

Mayuzumi regarded the other listlessly, the energy spent earlier catching up to him. It didn’t help that the mood was so tranquil, so quiet.  After a moment of peaceful silence, he replied, “I was chasing something that I heard in the forest.”

“I see. My guess is that you were tailing the deer that is resting on you now. I think it was actually looking for you, and sure enough, you chased after it.”

“Is that so?” Mayuzumi lazily added.

A beautiful singing voice drifted through the air, and Mayuzumi, through his state of nonchalance, looked to see it was coming from the dryad, as she sat in an upright position this time, her feet swaying as she sang. It sounded familiar, yet the senior couldn’t recall the song for the life of him. He leaned back, breathing in deeply and closing his eyes.

In his indulgence of the ambience around him, he at first didn’t register footsteps and the sensation of a weight upon his head.

Peeking open a silver eye, he reached up and felt the crown placed there. Too apathetic at this point, Mayuzumi merely said, “I thought I told you I didn’t want one,” but had no bite to it.

“If you don’t like it, you can take it off,” was the peaceful reply, as Kuroko sat back down.

Mayuzumi gave a noncommital grunt.

He lost track of time as he sat in the field of flowers, soaking in the mellifluous voice of the wood nymph.

“...Mayuzumi-san, do you like the stars tonight?”

Both eyes peeled open this time, and Mayuzumi tilted his head to look at the younger teen, a question forming on his tongue, but it only took one look before it was caught in his throat. 

Kuroko’s head was tilted towards the sky, large blue eyes glimmering like the stars themselves. The light from the stars above reflected stunningly across his doe-like eyes.  His face was still devoid of emotion, but Mayuzumi could’ve sworn there was a tiny upturn of his lips. With the combination of the dryad’s song, the idyllic atmosphere, and the lighting of the clearing, Mayuzumi’s breath was stolen.

As he caught himself staring at the other, he jerked his head away, feeling a faint heat rise in his cheeks.

He let himself fall down into the field, back hitting the grass forcefully. “...They’re a sight to behold,” he commented, but knowing he wasn't fooling himself about his feelings. He pulled the flower crown over his face.

The senior then noticed his crown was made of petunias, entwined together in a complex knotting pattern.

What did petunias mean again?

_‘Oh, right.’_

Anger and resentment.

But in other situations,  _‘I find your presence soothing.’_

He reached another hand to cover his eyes as he took in a large, but silent breath.

...

How does Mayuzumi even know that?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked the mythology in there...haha.  
> Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Others begin to interfere, and both Kuroko and Mayuzumi discover something new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contrasts from the serenity of the last chapter, as the dreams turn a bit scary. There is violence, so beware of blood.

Just how much weirder were these dreams going to get?

Kuroko lied in bed as he stared up at the ceiling. Last night’s dream was still replaying in his head, and while it was nothing less of pleasant, he was bewildered that he managed to dream up all that. Everything from when he was led deeper into the forest, until he stargazed with Mayuzumi remained fascinating. He could even still feel the stems and petals between his fingers from crafting the flower crowns.

He had woken up feeling refreshed, like he had hibernated instead of lucid dreamt. That itself already added to the list of growing suspicions that these dreams were beyond abnormal. He didn’t know much about other people’s accounts of lucid dreams, but he was certain it didn’t have any healing properties upon waking up.

Speaking of other’s experiences, he was going to ask his friend about these dreams.

Kuroko stood up to rummage through his bag for his cellphone. He pulled it out, only to see that it was out of power. Right, he was too tired to charge it last night.

He slid open the drawer of his nightstand, finding the phone charger neatly twined up. Attaching the charger to his phone and placing his phone on the tabletop, he plugged it into the socket. Spinning around, he neatly rearranged his pillow and straightened out the covers. Taking a glimpse at his clock, he found he had enough time to shower before school. A hand reached up to the top of his head and felt around. Hopefully a shower would help his bedhead.

He tried powering his phone on first. Sending a text to Momoi before his shower would give her time to answer, and he could debate where they could meet each other. Momoi wouldn’t have had any interest in dream analysis when her priorities were to collect info on opposing basketball players, so Kuroko doubted that she knew much. He knew that they’d need to meet soon, so maybe tomorrow, Saturday? He’d also need time to take the initiative to do his own research on dreams. He nodded to himself, deciding to just ask to know her own versions and input on dreams.

Through his thought process, his phone powered on. Hastily, he sent a text to Momoi.

“Good morning Momoi-san, if you have some spare time this weekend, I was wondering if you have time tomorrow to meet,” he typed, shutting his phone.

Standing up, Kuroko went to the bathroom to battle his hair.

* * *

[Oh, of course! I’m definitely free tomorrow. Where and what time should we meet up? ヾ(@^▽^@)ノ] was the reply from Momoi, and Kuroko noticed he received it not too long after he sent his message. As he toweled his hair dry, he sent his own reply.

[I was thinking I could meet you at your school. If you’d like, I can take you to a restaurant where I’d like to discuss something. Please do not let Aomine-kun know about this.]

[Sure! I’ll make sure to keep this a secret from Dai-chan. If you don’t mind me asking, what is it that you’d like to talk about?]

Kuroko paused as he read the new message. It was now or never, and he really needed someone like Momoi to help him with this.

[I wanted to talk about dreams I’ve been experiencing recently.]

[Dreams? What kind of dreams? Oh, please don’t tell me they’re nightmares! Σ(ﾟДﾟ|||) If they are nightmares, I take sleeping pills to sleep dreamlessly and deeply.]

Kuroko stared as he processed the message. Was Momoi implying that she got nightmares often?

[No, I’m not having nightmares. But it sounds like you are. Are you okay?]

[Um, I used to get nightmares a lot…They started around my third year in middle school, but they died down a while back.]

Kuroko felt that he knew the cause. After all, he had his few shares of sleepless nights in his final year of middle school. He stared sullenly at the message from Momoi.

[I’m sorry to hear that. It’s good to know that they’ve lessened.]

[What kind of dreams were you having?]

[I’ve been having weird dreams as of late. I don’t want to discuss this over text, since there’s a lot to cover. I wanted to know your input on what they could mean.]

[Ah, I see. Well, I’ll be glad to help, Tetsu-kun! I don’t know much about dreams and what they can imply, but I’ll do my best! (๑☆‿ ☆#)ᕗ]

[Thank you, Momoi-san. I’ll see you tomorrow then.]

[Until tomorrow!]

With that, Kuroko snapped his phone shut and pocketed it. He made his way back to the bathroom, sighing tiredly at his still messy hair. Even with a shower, it was still sticking up every which way like the top of a pineapple. Maybe today it would cooperate by just a comb through.

As he began to comb his hair, he pulled on his gakuran and zipped it up. The comb was fighting with a knot in his hair when he heard his mother call him down for breakfast. He made a few last tugs at his hair, untangling some pesky knots, before making one last glance at his reflection and going to the dining room.

* * *

A blue brow raised in interest at his childhood friend. The two were walking towards their school, when Aomine noticed that Momoi was staring a bit too intently at her cellphone.  He peered over her shoulder at her peculiar behavior. “Who are you texting, Satsuki?”

“Eep!”  Momoi jolted, hurriedly attempting to stash her phone back in her bag, but not before nearly dropping it. “Nobody! No one!”

Aomine yawned, almost expecting such a reaction from her. Of course, she was smiling so giddily, there was no doubt- “It’s Tetsu, isn’t it? Are you bothering him again?”

After calming herself from being startled, Momoi huffed. “I don’t bother him!” she pouted, then straightened as much as she could, looking Aomine right in the eye. “And for your information, he texted me first this time!” she gave a self-assured smile.

 Aomine stopped as his brows scrunched together, slightly in disbelief at her words. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Why would Tetsu text you first…and leave me out?” he thought back to the times Kuroko sent text messages. Rarely did he ever text people, so if he did, it was pretty significant.

Momoi’s superior looking smile only grew, and she whipped away and sped up her pace towards the school. “Jealous, Dai-chan?”

A vein popped up near Aomine’s temple. “As if!” he stormed after Momoi. “You didn’t answer my question, what did Tetsu text you about?” he gave an accusatory glare.

“I’m not telling~” was the singsong reply from Momoi before she began skipping away.

“Oi, Satsuki!”

* * *

 Looks like he was right.

Silver eyes blinked blearily at the passing scenery outside of the crowded rail train. Having no room to sit, he could only stand and grip the train handles dangling next to his head.

Being tall had its perks.

How long had he been riding the train? Through his cloudy mind, he momentarily noted that the next stop was his. Mayuzumi’s head was filled with thoughts of last night. Every time he tried to push it away, new unwanted feelings arose in him. At least now he knew that he really shouldn’t be swinging a sword around in his unconsciousness. He got plenty of sleep, yet it still felt like he was kept up all night completing his work.

Which he still didn’t complete.

He stifled a yawn. It wasn’t much of a struggle waking up this morning. He had enough time to do some work, but inevitably, there were still a few pages of his essay that he needed to write.

He mentally groaned as he remembered the new sentiment he had discovered for a certain blue haired brat. He’s already dealing with his own school’s kouhais, he didn’t need to start eyeing one with interest, let alone from another school.

It just had to be one whom he had no real basis for liking, even.

Not after the final match at the Winter Cup. At least it wasn’t anything big. He would not accept letting his feelings get out of hand. He just thinks Kuroko’s a good person, that’s all. Bothersome, but less so than his own kouhais.

Great, this still meant the dreams were getting to him.

He was about to rudely voice his frustrations out loud, only to be interrupted by the chime and announcement denoting his stop. Without needing to turn his head, he heard the train doors sliding open.

Heaving a sigh, he shuffled his way through the crowd and braced himself for another long day.

* * *

Aomine heaves a sigh, absolutely spent.

He plopped down behind a concealed piano in the music room. It was a great place to hide. Momoi wouldn’t ever guess that he’d be in here.

After pestering Momoi for the whole first half of school, Aomine had finally given up.

Or… that’s what he would’ve done, had he not got the bright idea to steal it from a conveniently unattended bag.

Really, it was just a spur of the moment, but nevermind that. Now, to the issue at hand.

He reached into his pocket of his pants, pulling out a familiar pink device. It was good that Momoi left her bag on her desk at the beginning of lunch break. He really wasn’t good at that stealth sort of thing. That was more Kuroko’s field of expertise.

With suppressed excitement from the adrenaline that coursed through him after sneaking away, he quickly, but silently flipped open the phone.

Momoi really needed to put a number lock on her phone.

But luckily for him, now he can see what Momoi’s been up to with Kuroko. With bated breath, he clicked through the messages to find the earliest one from Kuroko.

As he meticulously read each text, his eyes widened in incredulity at the words reflected on the tiny screen. Finishing, he paused in thought as he processed what he had read.

_‘Tetsu is asking Satsuki out on a date.’_

_‘Tetsu is taking Satsuki out on a date?’_

_‘No, not a date, dumbass!’_

Even without it being a legitimate date, something stirred deep within him. But what was he getting so worked up over? It wasn’t his concern about what either Momoi or Kuroko did, especially not after they’ve already gone on an official date. Besides, the messages he read seemed to say it was more serious than a date. Dates were usually carefree and casual outings. This looked like Kuroko was asking Momoi for a favor.

He reread a few messages, squinting as he thought. Kuroko was definitely asking for some advice or clarification, and Momoi definitely seemed like the type capable of these situations. But wouldn’t it be better anyway to ask a teammate? Aomine has definitely noticed how close their team is, so wouldn’t they be first choices? Or maybe Kuroko had already sought help, and was now beginning to search elsewhere.

All of this was more trouble than it was worth, though. Aomine could feel his brain frying by the second. Maybe he’d tag along in secret, just to put his mind at ease.

He shut the pink phone, only now realizing that he needed to slip it back into Momoi’s bag before she noticed.

Stepping out of the music room, he checked to see if the coast was clear, before shooting off back to their classroom. If he didn’t accomplish secretly dropping her phone back into her bag, he’d get an earful later.

Nearly screeching to a halt outside their classroom door, he once again peeked carefully in to see any familiar locks of pink hair. Releasing a breath he didn’t know he was holding at the lack of Momoi, he tried casually maneuver his way to her seat with her bag. There were only a few people in the classroom during lunch, but he tried to be inconspicuous in surveying his surroundings. Slipping the phone carefully back where he found it, he whipped around to go eat lunch.

Not before he bumped into a head of pink hair, though.

Resisting the urge to jerk away, Aomine nervously tried to inch around Momoi to the door.

“Dai-chan, have you seen my phone? I thought I left it in my bag, but I couldn’t find it.”

Aomine paused, realizing that she didn’t see his earlier actions.

He looked away from her. “…’Dunno, sure you didn’t just lose it? Might’ve been swallowed up by that bag of yours.”

A pink brow rose, and Momoi ‘hmphed.’ “You’re no help,” she made her way to her bag on her desk, and Aomine’s eyes glued to the bag. She filed through to discover it stashed between her notebooks. “That’s weird…I could’ve sworn it wasn’t here before…”

Aomine let out a silent breath of relief. “Good for you, I’m gonna get lunch now,” he waved lazily behind his shoulder and walked out the door.

* * *

Mayuzumi couldn’t work like this.

It was lunchtime, and he was on the school rooftop reading his light novel as usual.

But he didn’t think spacing out every five words counted as reading.

Light novels never failed to take his mind off the real world. It was just him and a good piece of literature. He didn’t have room to worry about schoolwork, kouhais, and above all, about baby blue eyes.

Well, if he couldn’t focus on his light novel, then he might as well try getting a wink of sleep in.

He draped his open light novel over his face as he leaned back against the fence. Letting his eyes slowly droop, silver eyes were completely shut, drifting into unconsciousness.

“Mayuzumi-saaaan!”

Oh for the love of-

“Mayuzumi-san!” came another shout from Hayama.

He wasn’t even going to bother. As long as he kept the book over his face, Hayama shouldn’t be able to-

“Ah, there you are!” footsteps padded closer, stopping in front of him. “Hey, wait, you asleep? Hello?”

Maybe if he ignored him-

“Earth to Mayuzumi-saaaan…” he could hear Hayama shift, and before he knew it, his book had been lifted off his face.

“So…you’re into these kinds of books, huh?” he heard a page being turned and an inquisitive hum follow. “It’s…” there was a silence as he grasped at words, “unexpectedly cute,”  he gave a friendly chuckle, and with his eyes still shut, Mayuzumi heard Hayama begin to wave his book around.

“Still not going to say anything?” the pages of the book flapped as he spoke in a bored tone. “Cold as ever, man. Well, I’m just here to tell you that Akashi needs ya,” he said with finality, and Mayuzumi felt Hayama drop his light novel back onto his slightly displeased expression.

“See ya!” footsteps retreated, and the rooftop doors opened and slammed shut.

Slowly, a hand reached up and pulled the book back from his face, silver eyes blinking open. For maybe the nth time that day, the senior suppressed to urge to groan. There goes his chance of getting some much needed rest. What does Akashi want now?

He slipped his light novel into his back pocket, and was reminded of the first dream where Kuroko showed up. Similarly, he’d need to descend the whole school to reach his destination, as Akashi would be in the student council room, if not the lunchroom.

Mayuzumi ambled down the stairs.

* * *

 "Think you can do it?”

“Yes. Please watch how much I’ve improved.”

A basketball drummed against the well-polished, gym floor.  The dribbler made quick, successive twists of the body. He danced with the ball, and one could tell that an admirable amount of practice and effort had gone into this display.

A hand grabbed the ball in midair, pushing the ball upwards to aim for the hoop.

Only to stop short, the ball bouncing off the rim and shooting back to the ground unimpressively.

“Ah.”

…

“Don’t give me that! Improvement my ass, you just made a few more unnecessary flashy moves!” was the annoyed reaction from a fiery redhead.

A jovial laugh pushed away the prior outburst. “I found the moves to be rather cool looking, Kagami.”

Kagami gave Kiyoshi a look that said, _‘where on earth would that be considered cool?’_

Kiyoshi just grinned and turned to Kuroko, giving his full support. “You just timed it wrong. You didn’t wait to let the ball reach its peak in the air, so watch out for that.”

Having already picked up the ball again, Kuroko cast a weary glance back. “Thank you very much, Kiyoshi-senpai. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“What’s with the moves all the sudden? Last time I checked, you were more interested in getting your shots in, not pulling fancy moves,” Kagami held his hands up, asking for the ball. Kuroko gave an Ignite Pass, and Kagami caught it with ease, charging forward for a dunk.

Looking down at his palms, Kuroko thought about it. It was strange for him. He usually wasn’t able to put the extra effort like that. “I think it’s a result of the amount of sleep I’m getting.”

 “Didn’t you say to Riko yesterday that you weren’t getting enough rest?” Kiyoshi stared worriedly.

“Oh, did you message Momoi already?” Kagami asked, spinning the ball on his index finger.

“Momoi? Why are you mentioning her, Kagami?” Kiyoshi turned a now confused gaze to the other.

“Kuroko’s been having unusual dreams. I suggested to him yesterday to talk to Momoi and see if she knows anything.”

“Unusual dreams?”

Kagami gestured with his chin to Kuroko.

“I’ve suddenly started to experience lucid dreams. I can recall in great detail of every event, like I had never been dreaming at all,” Kuroko’s eyes flickered to the ball spinning on Kagami’s finger, seeming to contemplate spilling something. “…I left out the bit that there was another person in the dreams from Kagami-kun.”

Kagami halted, ball slowing as he let it spin on the back of his knuckle. With a flick of his wrist, the ball came to a stop as he caught it in his palm. One of his forked eyebrows rose. “Who is it that you didn’t mention?”

Kuroko remained hesitant, so Kiyoshi piped up. “You don’t have to tell us, Kuroko. I’m guessing it might be someone who’s a touchy topic?” Kiyoshi smiled reassuringly.

Kuroko’s thoughts crossed to Ogiwara. He did admit, if it was Ogiwara in these dreams, he’d at least be a little less confused. But that wasn’t what was at hand, so he shook his head no.

 “It is Mayuzumi-san who has appeared in my dreams.”

Two pairs of eyes blinked at the unexpected answer. Both expressions said nothing less of ‘what the hell,’ or maybe that was just Kagami, since Kiyoshi opted to speak first. “Mayuzumi? The Rakuzan player?”

“What, you still hung up over that Phantom Sixth man stuff, Kuroko?” Kagami returned to the ball, bouncing it on the back of his hand.

“I’d like to say that I contacted Momoi-san because I’m not too sure myself,” his fist clenched as Kuroko got lost in his own thoughts.

“You know…they say that dreams are more symbolic than anything.”

Blue eyes blinked up at the serious tone.

“Maybe because Mayuzumi happens to appear, it’s referencing something else. Not necessarily that he is a reminder plaguing your dreams of the Phantom Sixth Man title, but it’s more your mind telling you there’s unfinished business. It also can completely depend on how Mayuzumi happens to behave in your dreams,” Kiyoshi’s expression immediately reverted back to its easygoing smile. “But I’m no expert. Just something I heard once from my grandmother.”

“Sounds boring, if you ask me,” was the offhanded comment from Kagami.

The discussion ended as Riko blew her whistle. “All right, go get changed!”

* * *

“Shit!”

Wind whipped through silver hair as Mayuzumi grit his teeth, bringing his arms over his face.

How the fuck did he get into this situation? As much as he knew it was a dream, entering them falling from the sky wasn’t what he considered pleasant. He was ready to go back home, having just hitched a ride on the railway train back, and then…

No, focus on the issue! The trees below him definitely wouldn’t be breaking his fall well. Quick, he needed to focus!  _Change the scenery!_

What about a lake? At least that’ll be better than sharp branches and-

The train floor?

He made an inquisitive sound, until he realized he was still plummeting. Spinning on one heel, he tumbled down onto his back gracelessly, grunting in pain as multiple feet scattered away from where he landed, followed by a few startled shouts.

That was embarrassing.

Standing up and brushing himself off, a woman in office attire went up to him. “Are you all right? The train suddenly stopped, I guess you didn’t have a firm grip on the handles,” she gave a sympathetic laugh.

The train suddenly stopped? Mayuzumi gave a swift glance outside, noting that the train was indeed coming to a standstill. “I’m fine, thank you for your concern,” he gave a polite smile, “just a slip of the hand.”

“I see. Well, I hope this train won’t be stopped for long-“

The announcement bell rang, cutting her off. “We are sorry for the delay. There has been a problem with the overhead electrical system. It will be fixed within a short time. We would like to apologize for any inconveniences.”

Mayuzumi cast his gaze to the floor, still in a slight daze at what just transpired. He pieced together the gaps in his memory. First, he fell asleep standing up, then he jolted awake because he was plummeting to the ground in reality? Or was it because it was to stop himself from potentially dying in his dream? He did read somewhere that people have a reaction to jerk awake when they’re falling, although in which case, he didn’t know.

Either way, he was wide awake now, his heart rate returning to normal after the rude awakening.

After a few moments, the train started up again.

* * *

The forest location again?

Kuroko took in his surroundings, noticing that on this occasion, he wound up entering during the turn of the evening, the sun casting a warm, orange glow over the horizon. His shadow was elongating by the second on the pathway as the sun slowly set, turning almost intimidating.

Something was off.

Not like the last time when he felt the dream was deficient of a certain presence. In fact, he felt like even more were added, almost foreboding. The forest itself seemed to watch his every move for the prime moment to strike his already daunted mind. Kuroko could feel his stomach knotting up, and of all times he felt invisible, it was certainly not that way now.

The shadows of the environment threatened to enclose in on him, reminiscent of him drowning in the pool in the first dream. The shadows might as well have been drowning him, for Kuroko stood petrified as his surroundings seemed to distort further and his own heart began beating erratically in his ears.

He heard the groan of wood, and leaves suddenly shook with signs of life further in the forest. He thought he heard a yell, but he wasn’t sure.

First things first, calm down. He had free will in these dreams, right? Mayuzumi had said if you focused, you could form things out of thin air.

What did he want? Maybe protective gear? Or maybe a weapon would be more sufficient.

He closed his eyes in concentration and held his hand out. He didn’t trust himself to handle a sword, so how about a spear?

He focused.

And focused.

He opened up one eye uncertainly to see his hand scarce of any weapon.

Fantastic, not only could he not make objects, but he had no form of defense.

“Grr…”

Was that a growl? Panicking, Kuroko put more effort in making his spear, letting his trepidation fuel his will.

A shift.

Still no weapon.

His stomach lurched as something enormous whizzed out of the bushes. Alarmed, adrenaline pumped through his veins as he willed his legs to move, shooting off into the opposite direction.

As he thought to turn around and look at his pursuer, Kuroko’s mind raced as he wracked it for solutions. If he couldn’t make anything, then maybe he could manipulate the circumstances given to him?

A menacing snarl came right behind him, as if to dare him to even try.

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, heart hammering, legs screaming in protest at the exertion. Rushing into the forest to force the creature to lose sight of him, Kuroko dodged oncoming branches as he sped deeper.

Apparently the forest hated him, though.

A vine swung down from nowhere, slapping him in the face, and time seemed to cease as Kuroko’s face stung from the impact.

_Rip It apart._

Desperately, he grabbed hold of the vine, tearing it from where it hung, and blindly threw it behind him.

A deafening crack came from behind. He heard wood splintering, and then a huge crash followed, blowing him off his feet as he rolled to the ground ahead of him.

Carefully flipping himself over on the ground after catching his breath, his eyes widened as he scanned the damage.

Everything within a few yards behind him had putrefied. A tree now lied collapsed, its branches emaciated and deprived of leaves. A few more trees stood in the same timeworn condition. The shrubbery growing around had all rotted, any remains of life withered and decaying. Everything was either a sickly green or brown, and the creature that was tailing him was nowhere to be found.

Or rather, it was more accurate to say the skeletal remains now lied crushed beneath the rotten tree.

An eerie howl of wind passed through, and Kuroko felt his stomach sink.

There was no other explanation, he did that.

But, how?

He brought his hand up to his face, brushing away the dirt that had gathered. There was a fresh wound on his palm that he had failed to take heed of, which was bleeding heavily.

Hurriedly, he put pressure on the wound with his other hand. Realizing that proved ineffective, he zipped his gakuran down, pulling it off and tying a sleeve around his hand. His hand continued to press against the wound through the fabric.

He heard another distant noise, something akin to a cry of pain.

_‘Mayuzumi-san?’_

Reverting his attention back to his injury, he gave a few heavier presses before untying his gakuran to inspect it.

_‘Eh?’_

His hand was clear of any injury. No open wound, no blood, not any trace of a mark on his palm. Was he hallucinating? Or could he just heal himself?

Reflecting on these peculiar discoveries, he came to a conclusion, but he need to test it again for sure.

He stood up and walked over to the dead remains of the forest he caused. Putting his hand over a clump of twigs, he focused.

After a split second, he opened his eyes.

Just as he thought.

A flower had sprouted from in between the twigs, standing tall and proud amongst the deteriorating environment.

Back when he had tried to make that vanilla milkshake, it hadn’t worked. He pictured making it again, and this time, realized that the air around him was freezing.

The shards floated harmlessly in the air. Using his finger, the shards followed the movement as he waved it around.

_So he could affect and change what already existed._  Time exists to be an idea in this world, judging by the setting sun. Did he change time in just one focused area? That at least explained the decomposed foliage he caused, as well as the wound he mended.

The ice melted and the water pattered to the ground, soaking into the dirt. He turned to the collapsed tree, focusing and pulling a large strip of rotting wood from it. He clenched his fist, crushing the wood into a sphere shape, slightly larger than a basketball.

_However, he could not make something out of nothing._  That’s why the spear didn’t work earlier.

Wood cracked somewhere deeper in the forest, and Kuroko listened as another tree tipped over and smashed to the ground.

Mayuzumi.

* * *

“Oof!”

Mayuzumi was thrown to the ground as he gasped in pain. “Shit!” he cursed, his hands clutching at his abdomen, as it continued to bleed from strain.

The smoke cleared, revealing an indiscernible figure with claws for hands. Its body was shadowed over, concealed in a haze of black. It lumbered as it proceeded closer to Mayuzumi, wobbling on one foot to the other.

Mayuzumi was racked with harsh coughs, hacking up blood from the previous blow to his chest. On the last bits of energy, he haphazardly searched for anything to defend himself with.

Nothing had worked on this monster that was sluggishly approaching him. Drawing a sword hadn’t done the job, and neither had a bomb.

He hissed as he put pressure on the open gash on his side that came from being ambushed by the thing. These dreams of his were leading down an unfavorable pathway. He just hoped there wouldn’t be heavy consequences to his psyche upon dying in them, at least.

He had already been shocked awake twice whenever he was caught off guard by any sudden attacks. Upon first entering the dream, he crashed through the trees like he believed would’ve happened earlier in the train, had he not jerked awake. After being nicked by many thin branches, he landed unceremoniously on a thick branch that broke his fall from the ground.  From there, it was about a fifty feet drop to the ground. When he tried to climb down the tree by a rope ladder he created, something shot out and cut the rope, leaving him to plummet once again.

He jolted awake right before breaking his neck on the ground, letting him gather his bearings. But, like an enchantress and her victim, the dreams pulled him back in soon enough.

The bright side was that upon reentering, his body was restored back to proper condition, and he was standing safely on the forest floor.

Or so he thought.

The downside was that whatever cut his rope ladder was probably the one who took him by surprise again, sending a flying kick to his shoulder.

And he once again was shocked awake, this time pausing to let his heart settle before being dragged back in.

This time, he was prepared to not let himself be surprised again.

He could’ve gone without the slash at his side, though.

It was deep, too. It tore through his uniform, slicing into his flesh like a hot knife to butter. The pain was unmistakable, almost searing.

After running through the forest and knocking down tree after tree, he was finally at his wits end. If a bomb didn’t do the trick, there was no way he had more energy to make a better weapon.

He really hated these dreams. Ever since the brat showed up, they’ve only become more chaotic, and were even detrimental to his waking hours. He did attempt to remove the nuisance earlier, back when he was innocently swimming in that pool. Did he not try hard enough? Or…was there someplace deep within him that had accepted Kuroko in the first place?

Ah, well, it didn’t matter. He stared up tiredly at the figure’s mask. The pursuer’s weapon hovered over his head, ready to deliver the finishing blow, its shadow casting over his weakened frame.

A wry smile stretched on his face.

* * *

After reaching the point where an unknown figure was looming over Mayuzumi, Kuroko waited in hiding, assessing the situation before he sprang into action. Putting forth all his strength, he gave an Ignite Pass Kai to the wooden ball, expecting that it would at least deter the attacker.

His palm stung, not accustomed to the denser material of wood. That was a small sacrifice though, as the figure stumbled from the impact, only for the ball to begin sinking into its body like sap, the ball then swallowed up whole by the gunk. Like an owl, it turned its head a full one eighty, locking sight of Kuroko.

Kuroko froze, having unforeseen such an outcome. With an unwavering gaze, he concentrated on searching for the ball in the mound of black as the figure wobbled towards him instead.

Charging towards the figure, he realuzed fleetingly that he was making a rash decision, but now he couldn’t hesitate. Jabbing his fist into the creature’s torso, Kuroko twisted his arm at the sensation of the wood, acutely aware of the claw suspended dangerously over his head.

_Now!_

The creature exploded as it gave a shrill screech. Black gunk spurted out in all directions, splattering everywhere as its deformed body was ripped apart, gradually disintegrating away. All that remained were spines of wood that pierced the creature’s body from the inside-out, and Kuroko dropped his hand back to his side, the spines retracting back into the shape of a ball.

After regaining his composure, Kuroko straightened and jogged over to the collapsed senior. “Are you all right, Mayuzumi-san?” Blue eyes took in the disheveled appearance of the other, clearly not okay. “Ah, maybe not, let me help.”

Mayuzumi just gave a harsh cough, using a hand to cover his mouth.

“Could I ask for you to make a bucket, towel, and some gauze?” Kuroko asked as he seated himself next to the sprawled senior still clutching at his side.

“What, can’t do it yourself?” Mayuzumi frowned, annoyed at the prospect. “You take down that thing and you can’t even make cleaning supplies?”

“I’m not able to.”

The senior tsked, and after a few seconds, a bucket dropped face down over Kuroko’s head, towel and gauze following and landing on top of the upside down container.

“That was a bad prank, Mayuzumi-san,” was the exasperated reaction from Kuroko underneath the bucket.

He missed the mischievous grin from the senior as he tilted the bucket up over his head, setting it down upright. Kuroko ignored the urge to just chuck the bucket at the senior’s head, and instead focused on the task at hand. Water droplets accumulated in the air, swelling like balloons, then flowed into the bucket, filling it.

“Please take off your shirt,” Kuroko requested.

“Eager now, are we?” the senior smirked.

“This is not a joke, Mayuzumi-san."

“All right, all right, whatever,” he grunted as he sat up, and then proceeded to painstakingly take off his blazer. Leaving it strewn carelessly on the ground, Kuroko was resourceful and folded it up.

Loosening his tie, he frowned at the blood and dirt staining it as well. Finally, he unbuttoned his dress shirt, peeling it back from his blood soaked waist.

Kuroko wasted no time, dipping the towel in, wringing it out, and began cleaning Mayuzumi’s face and hands. He moved down to the gaping wound, pressing down carefully. Mayuzumi hissed at the cold, damp cloth, as Kuroko soaked the towel in the water a few more times before finishing. With a determined gaze, Kuroko began unrolling the gauze, neatly wrapping it around the wounded abdomen. Making sure it was fastened tightly, he placed a hand over the concealed injury, concentrating.

The senior’s brow rose, clueless as to what the other was doing.

After a moment, Kuroko pulled back the bandages, unraveling it. He ignored Mayuzumi’s puzzled protests, and upon seeing the unmarred flesh of his waist, his mouth snapped shut with an audible clack.

“How?” Mayuzumi managed, voice incredulous.

Kuroko glanced up from his work, realizing that healing such a huge gash took a toll on him. Feeling dizzy, he tried to recompose himself before answering. “I discovered the ability earlier,” was all he could say for now.

Mayuzumi’s eyes narrowed as he mulled something over. Something seemed to snap within him as he suddenly turned aggressive, expression fierce.

“…Why the hell do you even care?” his tone was scathing, laden with    irritation. Silver eyes narrowed further, trying to retain equanimity.  “This was my problem, and I don’t recall asking for your support,” his eyes glared heatedly, regarding Kuroko with something akin to hatred.

Azure eyes were strangely composed as they stared back, darkened by the onset of dusk. The moon began radiating into view, once again shrouding the forest with blue and purple.

“Even if you ask me that, I’m not too sure myself,” Kuroko’s gaze retreated to his hands, as if expecting for an answer to be hidden there if he searched long enough.

Mayuzumi lips pursed impatiently. Finally, Kuroko continued.

“It’s true to say that I was not fond of you, I might’ve even disliked you. Seeing you tossed aside by your teammates during our match, however, was a bit upsetting,” Kuroko took a shaky breath as he thought back to painful memories. “It reminded me of the days where I was…put in a similar situation. I believe that’s why I’m helping now, maybe only to give me some peace of mind, even if it won’t make a difference in reality.”

Kuroko did not see the senior’s expression go blank, silver eyes widening a fraction.

“And…even if you’re only my in dreams.”

Blue eyes blinked up after getting no reply, coming face to face with an unusual expression.

“…Tell me,” Mayuzumi’s expression hardened, “is this to satisfy your morals so as to not bother you while awake?”

Kuroko could only blink at the odd question. He did feel like it was true, so he nodded resolutely. “Yes.”

A hand reached up to cover silver eyes, masking his face from Kuroko. He chuckled sardonically, which only proceeded to perplex Kuroko even more.

“… You really piss me off, you know that?” was quietly, huskily whispered by the senior.

Mayuzumi looked up and leaned over, pulling Kuroko forward with his hand by the back of light blue hair.

Silver eyes shined almost white as the moon glowed in them, blue eyes entranced by the sight at such close proximity.

And then Mayuzumi’s lips met Kuroko’s roughly.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Mayuzumi’s willing to do a lil’ CPR now. //waggles eyebrows  
> When Mayuzumi jerked awake on the train, what he was referring to is called a hypnogogic jerk.  
> Thank you for reading, it means a whole lot!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not really a date, but kind of a date with Momoi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention last chapter that in Japanese schooling systems, school still is a thing on Saturdays, lol (unlike America, at least). So that's why Kuroko is picking Momoi up from Touou.

He knew it.

He was absolutely right, there was no doubt.

An amused chuckle came from Mayuzumi as he sat up in bed. The sound was a bit delirious, for he really felt that there was no other way to react here.

He threw back the covers and stood up, still smirking to himself.

Placing a hand over his face and rubbing it, he pondered upon the discovery he made.

He still couldn't quite believe it.

Kuroko was in fact, the real Kuroko.

His suspicions had been confirmed. The Kuroko in his dreams turned out to be the one that experienced their first match, their one on one, and their little  _accident in the match._

At first, he hadn't been so sure. Of course, he had thought nothing of it at the get go. He'd probably be going crazy if he was suspicious, but then he realized that his skepticism had formed right after Kuroko first popped up. He just hadn't noticed, since it was such a trivial idea. The first inkling he had about the dreams came when Kuroko displayed different capabilities in the dreams than him.

No, maybe even sooner than that. There's also his unexplained knowledge of flower language, with the petunias. There was no way he could've known that, since he could care less about flowers. So the only explanation was that Kuroko knew.

Expression reverting back to normal, he walked over to his computer, booting it up.

It still didn't fit perfectly, though. How would Kuroko's familiarity with the subject be transmitted to him?

As the computer powered on, he quickly pressed the Control and Escape button together, opening up the start menu and clicking on his web browser.

Entering "flower language petunia" into the search engine and clicking on the first link, he then pressed the Control and F key, finding petunias.

So Kuroko's flower language was right.

But even so, this wasn't enough proof that Kuroko was actually sharing a dream with him.

Mayuzumi had tried healing his injury, but to no avail. Well, he also didn't have the time to just sit down and concentrate, but the point was, at that very moment, Mayuzumi caught on to it.

Kuroko beginning to explain his side of the story wasn't something his own dream could conjure for himself. Even if his own mind could, it probably wouldn't be done in a way he would expect. Kuroko honestly told him all his opinions, even mentioning that there'd be no consequences in reality, and finally dreaming himself. Now, Mayuzumi woudn't be able to tell if the other was lying or not, but here, in these dreams, if nothing backfires, honesty is the only thing that's coming. And, luckily for him, he now has the advantage over Kuroko.

Still, that wasn't enough proof for such a supernatural occurrence.

It was a good idea to kiss him after all.

For one thing, his theory was proven correct. Kuroko had disappeared into thin air the instant after he forced his mouth on the other. That means Kuroko had been shocked awake, therefore proving every question that Mayuzumi asked himself since these dreams had started.

But that left one final question.

How did Kuroko find his way into his dreams?

Mayuzumi finished donning on his uniform, and knotted his tie, making a few last adjustments before he made his way to wash up.

It'd be great if the answer would just land right at his feet, if there even was an answer. It'd likely be within an ancient tome buried deep in the witchcraft archives for no soul to ever recover. Really, this whole mixing of dreams was a work of magic. What were the chances that the answer to this phenomenon was even located in Japan? He'd probably just get a bullshit answer if he searched the web, or end up abandoned in a ditch somewhere across the globe after visiting a sketchy self-proclaimed psychic that could, "read his mind."

Well, even if this remained an enigma forever, that didn't mean he couldn't take full advantage of it.

He toweled his face dry, hanging it on the bathroom rack as a devious smirk stretched on his face.

* * *

"Tetsu-kun!"

Baby blue eyes blinked up from his from his novel, coming face to face with a blur of pink, running up to and nearly pouncing on him.

"Momoi-san…it's been awhile," he spoke through a slightly too tight hug from her.

Momoi pulled back, looking joyous as ever. "It was so hard finding you, I thought you didn't come!" Adjusting her bag, her expression turned more serious as she cupped a hand to the side of her mouth. "I made sure not to let Dai-chan come along, but we have to get out of here quick," Momoi whispered, and she started scurrying away, turning left at the school gates, her shadow long with the setting sun.

Kuroko put away his novel, following with a calm pace.

"I've already done a little research on dreams. If you'd like, I can share some of my findings," Momoi reached into her bag, pulling out a journal, flipping hurriedly through the pages.

Kuroko blinked, impressed at her notes and how in depth they appeared.  _'With only a one day notice as well…'_

"That would be very helpful, thank you Momoi-san," he let a tiny smile appear on his face.

Momoi became bashful, smiling gratefully. "W-well, I supposed that I needed to put some effort in this…I-I mean," she flipped backwards in her notes. "If you contacted me of all people on advice, it's most likely to be more than just serious…" she paused, turning worried. "Are you sure it's nothing?" She stopped and her eyes shifted to Kuroko's.

Kuroko had practiced. He'd turned it over and over again in his head, anything to get rid of the oncoming reaction. But alas, he couldn't help but stiffen. Last night's dream had taken a huge turn, and to say that he was befuddled would only be lightly putting it. Waking up with his breath catching in his throat was not fun and if possible, he would like to never experience it again. The only good thing is that even with all the disarray after last night's events, he felt fine while awake. A few yawns here and there, but nothing like two days ago.

"Tetsu-kun?"

Realizing he still needed to say something to Momoi, he quickly formulated a response. "There are some more things that have surfaced since last night. But it really is nothing," Kuroko began walking again, having halted when he stiffened. "Let's go."

Momoi 's vexed expression stared after Kuroko, as she trailed slowly after him.

* * *

"Right here."

Two pairs of feet stopped in front of a quaint café, surprisingly in a well-kept condition despite the many vines crawling up the worn brick structure. A sign was boarded above reading, "mosaic" in katakana, the wood worn and repainted. A large tea cup emblem made of colored glass was placed in the middle of the square window pane, a nice touch to attract customers even with the old building.

Kuroko pushed open the entrance, holding it for his friend

Momoi, in her focus on the stained glass window, asked, "How did you find this place?"

"Sort of by chance, I overheard a few classmates talking about it. They recommended it once they took notice of me."

Momoi faced the other with a cheerful expression, laughing quietly to herself as she pictured Kuroko scaring yet another few unsuspecting people. Momoi thanked the other and strolled into the café as Kuroko held open the door, and if the exterior were to already be nice, then the interior—

The floor was covered in stained glass tile, sparkling in the dim multicolored glimmer from the stained glass lanterns hanging down. Though the lanterns seemed to be mainly for show, as the real lighting was came from the light bulbs in the ceiling,glowing a soft orange. The place was finished with polished wooden furniture, leaving Momoi awestruck at the design and how well maintained it was.

"Hi there! Just you, miss?" a waitress in a high ponytail came over, a serving tray and menus in her arms.

"Eh?" was the distracted reply from Momoi.

"I'm also here," Kuroko piped up.

"Oh!" The waitress bumbled with the tray and menus, almost dropping them. "I-I'm sorry sir, I didn't see you!" she put a hand over where her heart would be, recomposing herself. "This way, please."

Momoi couldn't help but give a sympathetic smile to the waitress, before following her to their seats.

As they sat down and were handed the menus, Momoi's eyes slowly strayed towards the lovely lantern hanging directly above their table, a variety of colored spots dotting the surface of the table.

The waitress sat down and asked for their drinks before walking off, leaving them to decide on their orders.

After deciding on his order, Kuroko put the menu down and examined the place himself. Letting his eyes slide across the interior, he noted that there were only two other tables which were occupied. Not unusual, since it was a bit early for dinner, too late for lunch.

"Tetsu-kun, what do want to order?" Momoi asked from behind her menu.

Kuroko's eyes reverted back to the girl in front, just now seeing the spots of colored light in Momoi's hair and on her upper body. He suspected he was the same as well. "I ordered the garden salad."

"Hm…" pink eyes scanned the menu, finally deciding on something she hadn't eaten in awhile. "Pork cutlet curry looks good," she snapped the menu shut and put it aside. "So!" she leaned forward. "spill the beans!"

"Are you two ready?" A polite voice cut in.

Now it was Momoi's turn to be surprised, and she sheepishly sat up straighter.

"Yes, we are. Could I get a garden salad?"

"I'll have a tonkatsu curry."

"All right, I'll take the menus," the waitress smiled and picked them up, walking away as the both of them nodded politely.

"So, it goes along the lines of this…" Kuroko started, Momoi's attention becoming rapt as she pulled out her notebook.

Kuroko began retelling all of his experiences as they waited. Momoi, being ever so patient, listened to every word quietly, jotting down some notes here and there. He only reached about halfway through the first dream before their food arrived.

As much as everything confused Kuroko, he admitted to himself that dreams were quite enjoyable. Some comments were made on the food as Kuroko continued on, the waitress returning for anything else.

Reaching the end of all the details about the most recent dream (there was no way he was telling anyone about Mayuzumi's last action), Kuroko let out a silent sigh, realizing that a lot had happened within just four days.

Momoi pondered for a bit as she placed her chopsticks down, "…When was the last time you two interacted?"

"Just at the Winter Cup," Kuroko answered, not really understanding what she was getting at. "We didn't see each other after the accident towards the end,"

"Wait, accident?" Momoi absentmindedly set her chopsticks on her plate.

"Ah, were you too far to see?"

"Well, not quite…I just realized that I couldn't locate you anywhere on the court," she had been much too preoccupied with her childhood friend having his first breakdown in all her experiences. It really was hectic at that final match. Never mind that though, back to the issue at hand. "What exactly happened, though?"

"I didn't remember all too well how it had gone, but Kagami-kun filled some holes in my memory. The one thing I remember the most at the time was that right after Kagami-kun Meteor Jammed the ball, Mayuzumi-san and I were knocked down, and our heads collided. Then all I could feel was pain in my head," Kuroko slowed his recount as he thought back.

Rose eyes widened, her drink suspended in front of her. "That's where the injury came from?!" she nearly slammed down her cup.

"Is that bad?"

"Bad, of course— well besides the fact you were bleeding, There's a theory that says head injuries relates to dreams."

Only a confused blink was her reply.

"I mean," she opened up her notebook, finding a section on the brain. "Some researchers suggest that certain head collisions to a part of the brain can influence our reflexes, as well as unconscious mind. Our cortex reacts to impulses that we get from our thalamus. Because the cortex also includes the place where you injured yourself, this could be a reason as to why you are experiencing lucid dreams."

Kuroko was silent, thinking as his eyes observed the dots on the table. "That…also might explain the weird feeling I got, amidst all the pain."

"Feeling?"

"Almost like…I wasn't myself." he grasped at words, not knowing quite how to word it. He ate a bit more of his salad. "Besides the pain, I also felt like I wasn't in my body, but watching myself be in pain. I also had to use all my power just to prevent myself from blacking out."

Momoi looked worriedly as Kuroko put down his fork and wiped his mouth with a napkin. In truth, while Momoi didn't realize what went down that day, some things still clearly resonated in her mind. What really occurred that day, possibly could only be pieced together by a great many people.

* * *

During the final match at the Winter Cup, at the last minutes of the game, too many incidents were going down all at once. One, the other Akashi without the Emperor's eye had returned. Two, because he had returned, all of Rakuzan managed to enter the zone. Three, Ogiwara appeared to the match, cheering on Kuroko and Seirin, causing for the whole audience to do so as well. Four, Kagami was able to reach the true form of the zone. And five…

Upon entering the second zone, Kagami was able to outspeed all of Rakuzan, driving past with agility that probably would have left Aomine bewildered.

However, that didn't mean that Rakuzan couldn't at least try and keep up. After all, Kagami had just a few moments before been out of gas along with the rest of Seirin, while Rakuzan still had stamina to keep going. But maybe they had tried a bit too hard, maybe Kagami had proved to be too much of a threat to them, and that's when it happened.

Akashi, hot on the trail of Kagami streaking past the rest Rakuzan, nearly caught up with the other redhead in record time. Desperate to shake Akashi off, Kagami attempted to perform a lane-up. No one could have ever beheld such a feat so great, not when he jumped into the air from the three point line. The violent force of Kagami focused only on a basketball and the opposing scores, leaped into the air, unyielding to Mayuzumi and Nebuya jumping to block his trajectory.

By then it was too late.

"Watch out!"

Kagami, with power that could rival Murasakibara's Thor Hammer, Meteor Jammed the ball in, the sheer force startling away the opposing two players, forgetting about the smallest phantom player below.

In a huge heap, all four crashed to the court floor, the shortest squashed underneath.

The referee stood paralyzed with his whistle held close, debating on whether to call time if Kagami had infringed the rules of basketball.

The bench was quiet, and it was like the audience had taken a simultaneous breath, for the stadium was next to silent.

Kiyoshi snapped out of his stupor first, being the closest. "Kagami, get up!" He bent down and proceeded to haul the exhausted redhead away, grunting in effort as he then set him down to sit.

Nebuya stood up, out of breath, but fine as ever.

The same could not be said for the two phantom players still sprawled on the ground, Mayuzumi slightly on top of Kuroko, for both were bleeding in the head.

Riko wasted no time. "Time out!" Still a bit stunned, she thought twice to bring the first aid kit, before ditching it and bolting on to the court.

Having called for time, both teams moved to the scene, huddling around the injured players.

The senior groaned, slowly sitting up and wobbling to his feet, holding the front of his head and wincing as he felt the familiar stickiness of blood. He turned to cast the fiery redhead a disapproving glance, who was still trying to summon energy himself.

Riko arrived to the scene, gasping at the sight of blood. She bent down to push Kuroko into a sitting position, careful so she wouldn't jostle him too much. She pushed back his bangs, checking his wound and pursing her lips "We have to switch you out, as much as it pains me to do so," she dejectedly said just barely above a whisper.

Kuroko grunted in pain, finally looking up to see the senior, who was glaring at him like this was his fault.

"Why the hell didn't you move?" He grit out, feeling a headache come on. Whether it was from the fall or from his rising temper, he didn't know.

"…I was merely marking you," Kuroko calmly stated back, although with a small scowl.

The two had a silent showdown, and the air was tense.

Mayuzumi opened his mouth to say something offensive, only to decide against it. Not worth the trouble right now, not with a throbbing head. "Tch," was all that could be heard before he whipped around to go back to the bench.

"I'll take Kuroko to the bench," Kiyoshi kneeled down and took Kuroko, putting Kuroko's shoulder over himself. As he slowly making his way back to their bench, Riko ran past him, searching for the first aid kit in her sports bag.

Kagami stood up and glowered after Mayuzumi's retreating figure, the senior able to sense the antipathy emitted from the redhead. He ignored Kagami as he went to go sit down himself, only for yet another redhead to join him.

Akashi followed Mayuzumi to their bench, Mibuchi, Hayama, and Nebuya all arriving soon after.

"Are you all right?" Akashi asked, standing in front of Mayuzumi who had sat down to hold his head.

"Absolutely great—couldn't be better," was the sarcastic reply, as Mayuzumi tilted his head upwards to give Akashi an unimpressed look.

Akashi patted and rested his hand on Mayuzumi's shoulder. "One of the other players should be able to help you. My apologies for not having enough time myself to do so," Akashi gave an apologetic smile.

Still unused to the change of personality, Mayuzumi couldn't help but stare baffled.

He then turned away, choosing a benchwarmer to go assist Mayuzumi in cleaning his injury. Coach Shirogane and Akashi then discussed the matters of who to sub in.

The Uncrowned Kings remained seated, all attempting to recover a last bit of stamina before the finale.

The senior stood up as a freshman walked over, a first aid kit in hand. Deciding that there was no room on the bench, they opted to head for the restrooms.

"Is Kuroko okay?" Kagami stopped over the resting player lying on the bench, Riko now wrapping medical tape over Kuroko's head. Fleetingly, Kagami thought back to a similar incident with their first practice match with Kaijou.

"He's unconscious, but he'll be fine," RIko assured, cutting the tape and securing it. "Mitobe," she called.

Mitobe straightened a bit from where he sat.

"Get ready, we're going to sub you in," Riko decided.

Only a small nod was the reply.

"Still have more energy in you?" Kiyoshi asked, gulping some water down.

"Yeah, and I'll make it last," was the determined reply from Kagami, wiping sweat off his brow.

* * *

A plate that once held curry sat off to the side. The salad was nearly gone, still being eaten at a relaxed pace.

"Would you like dessert, Momoi-san?"

Momoi's hand paused as she counted her money in her wallet, finding that she was short on cash. "Eh? Oh, I can't pay for it though," her eyes going downcast.

"That's fine. I'll pay for everything," Kuroko pulled out his own wallet, checking just to make sure he had plenty.

"I-if it's really fine with you, Tetsu-kun…" Momoi had really wanted to order the cherry parfait, one of her favorites.

They flagged down another waiter, ordering the parfait. Kuroko just gave a miniscule smile towards Momoi, glad that when her dessert arrived, she was visibly enjoying it (judging by the lit up expression she had after one bite).

"It was very helpful knowing where these dreams possibly came from, so thank you Momoi-san. But the main thing I wanted to ask was if you possibly had any advice, or why you think they're happening."

Using her pointer finger to guide her in the dim light, Momoi skimmed her notes. After a moment of reading to herself, she looked up. "Well, these dreams don't seem too bad, right? Even though I can tell you don't exactly take a liking to Mayuzumi-san, he's not terrible, is he?"

Kuroko stopped himself from looking away, since that was definitely up for debate. "No, he's fine," which was half of a lie.

"If you ever are bothered by the dreams, I can give you sleeping pills to sleep dreamlessly."

Now that sounded interesting. "I would like that."

Momoi finished her parfait and turned back down to her notes to flip through. Something seemed to catch her eye, as she perked up. "Ah! Tetsu-kun, there are some people that say dreams prepare us for threatening situations, because we most frequently are able to remember nightmares. Dreams that are scary, or we experience anger, anxiety, or…abandonment," she trailed off, dark memories resurfacing.

Kuroko felt that he knew exactly what she was recalling. There was practically only one thing that could bring forth that expression. That distant forlorn demeanor that everyone got after facing the Generation of Miracles in their third year, the sense of loss that you got when there was nothing to do about it.

"You had me really worried there, Tetsu-kun," Momoi tried changing the topic, looking down at her napkin and fiddling with it. "All of the sudden you were hurt and Imayoshi-senpai was the one who filled me and Dai-chan in."

"I'm sorry about that, Momoi-san."

"Mou…" Momoi pouted. "Dai-chan was worried sick in his seat! He kept on denying that though, like you would expect, but his leg wouldn't stop jiggling," Momoi heaved a halfhearted sigh, a smile making its way on her face. "But after the match, when everyone was gathered round for celebration…" Momoi leaned forward, propping her chin up with her palms. "it really seemed like we were all friends again."

Surprised, Kuroko looked up at the sentimentality in her voice. He set down his drink, appetite gone, but replaced with a warm feeling in his chest. "You're right," he looked down at the table, lost in his own thoughts. "And…Momoi-san."

"Hm?"

He needed to do this. "I never got to apologize for lying back in middle school, and it's much too late, but…I'm very sorry that I made you cry," Kuroko faced Momoi with regret, knowing it'd be just shameful if he didn't look her straight in the eye.

Momoi looked up, thrown off. "Eh?"

Kuroko's gaze didn't waver.

"Tetsu-kun…" Momoi's eyes watered, as she swallowed down the urge, feeling the lump in her throat. "You're talking about that promise, right?"

Kuroko nodded, the air becaming tense and gloomy, as one of them tried to approach the subject.

"…It hurt, you know? When everyone started drifting away. It made me wonder, that if I could've played basketball with you guys…could it have turned out differently?" She sniffled, but no tears fell. "But I'm so glad…that things could wrap up this way."

"I'm glad as well," Kuroko thought back to all the memories of this year, all the practice, all his teammates, and all of his friends.

* * *

In the end, Kuroko took a teary eyed Momoi back home, having spent plenty of time at the café in discussion,

By the time they stopped in front of her house, Momoi had returned to normal, not including the slightly red face. She rummaged through her bag, finding her keys. "Thank you for taking me out today, Tetsu-kun. I had a good time," she gave a reassuring smile. "And, before I forget, please take all of my notes. It's going to benefit you more if these dreams of yours continue," handing the notebook to Kuroko, the other accepted it thankfully.

"I'm glad you at least enjoyed yourself, and thank you again for all of your advice, I'll put it to good use," Kuroko gave a rare smile saved for the special moments.

Momoi returned it, blushing a bit, before saying goodnight and turning to enter her home.

…

"Please take care of Momoi-san, Aomine-kun. I think you can also tell that she's was holding back."

Silence was the only reply Kuroko got.

_'And that's fine.'_ Kuroko thought, walking away to catch a bus home.

* * *

A figure hidden not so well in the darkness of the bushes was stiff, even after the footsteps of a certain phantom had retreated.

_'How the hell did Tetsu know I was here?!'_  Aomine nearly rasped out loud. He had made sure to stay out of sight the whole time! He was even crouched down and nearly camouflaged! Just how long did Kuroko know?

Ah, well that wasn't his main priority now, as his eyes rolled over to the neighboring house. Leave it up to Kuroko to be able to read everyone.

He sauntered up to the entrance, turning the doorknob and finding it unlocked.

_'Damn Satsuki…'_  Too caught up to even lock the door?

He slowly wedged open the door, finding a pink figure sitting on the couch, face masked by her hands and muffling sobs.

Aomine mentally groaned, already pretty tired of following them around the whole day, and this comfort thing really didn't suit him. He slowly walked over to where the girl sat, not noticing him.

"Satsuki," he said gently, watching as Momoi went rigid, sniffling. He carefully set his hand on her head. "Wanna go shopping tomorrow?"

Momoi slowly nodded, and she hiccupped.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this chapter took this long to write, wow. Was having a hard time deciding over what to include and leave out, ugh.
> 
> Also, please go check out the MayuKuro fic Euterpe written by my friend April! It's so great it'll make your heart cry _( :'3


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Food fight...?

_'Yes,’_  Mayuzumi thought to himself, pleased as he checked off another task in his mental checklist. This was by far the best idea he had in a while, and for it to be directed towards a pesky blue haired boy was even better.

Surveying the area all around him, he couldn’t help but feel triumphant. This is perfect in every way, he really had to hand it to himself.

He added ‘giving himself a pat on the back’ to his nearly finalized checklist.

Ah, but how could he forget? The only reason he was so confident in this is because of Akashi’s intel.

Thinking back, he did find it rather uncanny that both he and Kuroko were so similar. If it weren’t for one glaring obvious distinction between them, he wouldn’t be creating such a perfect plan right now.

* * *

“Hey, Akashi.”

“What is it, Mayuzumi?”

Mayuzumi stared at the basketball hoop, relaying his plan over again. Broaching the subject he was aiming for would not be easy.

“What were your teammates like back at your middle school?”

“Oh?” Akashi’s lip quirked upward. “How rare of you to be interested, especially with a topic like that,” Akashi teased, giving a friendly smirk.

“Shut up, I’m just curious,” Mayuzumi dribbled the basketball in his hand, aiming for the basket.

“Well, they were a handful, but…we share many fond memories together,” Akashi watched as Mayuzumi shot the ball, the ball sailing and swishing through the hoop neatly.

“Really? Do those fond memories include any tortuous training regimens?” Mayuzumi ran under the hoop, the ball bouncing a few times before he grabbed it and began dribbling again.

“I would say so, considering they were no less unruly than you guys are, maybe even more so,” Akashi coolly brushed off Mayuzumi’s own attempt to poke fun.

The senior gave an amused hum, bringing the ball under his arm and resting it against his side. “What was the phantom player like?”

That seemed to spark something within the redhead, as he blinked and Mayuzumi could’ve sworn he saw the other Akashi for the briefest moment.

Akashi gave fleeting pause before continuing. “…The Kuroko you know is more capable now than he was back then, but he was always a hard worker.”

There was a tinge of something in Akashi’s voice as he spoke of the other, yet Mayuzumi couldn’t quite place it. His slightly ambiguous answer didn’t help much, either.

“You make it seem like nothing can deter him, and after seeing his play at the Winter Cup, I’m tempted to believe that,” Mayuzumi leaned towards his side, relaxing his posture to appear uncaring. “So is there actually anything the sixth man can’t stand?”

“An obvious answer would be that he doesn’t stand for when people belittle the efforts of others,” Akashi mimicked the senior, relaxing as well, and not at all deceived of the other’s attempt to appear aloof. He crossed his arms. “I know he’s had his fair share of feeling small amidst all the basketball matches. It’s sometimes entertaining when you watch him and Murasakibara interact, I’m sure you’ll notice that he doesn’t enjoy having his hair tousled.”

_Bingo._

Mayuzumi let interest cross his face, as a small smirk appeared. “What else?”

“I do hope you don’t intend to blackmail him, Mayuzumi. That would be a new low, even for you,” Akashi once again teased, immensely amused.

The senior almost stopped to just give the other a look to say,  _‘You did not just-’_  but instead favored to just roll his eyes, knowing it’d be more beneficial to play along. “Never said I wouldn’t stoop down this much. After all, I need to hold some sort of reputation, you know,” he shrugged. “Blackmailing is always tempting, though,” he grinned conspiratorially, insinuating that he might’ve even done so before.

Akashi returned the sarcasm at full power. “You need to know that blackmail is only the first step,” Akashi’s head tilted downward, his sly smirk accentuating. “And Kuroko himself can play his own cards rather well. You’ll need the extra help, going up against someone like him.”

The senior scoffed, hardly deterred. “Please, even if I had that sort of thing at my expediency, that brat wouldn’t even be able to put up any sort of fight. Talk about wasted effort,” he watched as Akashi laughed silently to himself, knowing that it was wasted effort itself being in denial.

“I don’t necessarily have any blackmail material, but let me ask, you like chocolate milkshakes, no?”

Mayuzumi blinked. So what if he did? They’re godsend, and everyone should know that.

His lack of reply gave Akashi the cue to continue. “Kuroko is very adamant on his preference for vanilla milkshakes, or anything vanilla flavored. So much so that I hear his teammates complain about how it’s the one thing they ever see him consume. I wouldn’t doubt that if you tried swiping the drink from him, you’d never live to see another pleasant day.”

 _‘_ _Well, not like my dreams were pleasant in the first place.’_

But this was useful. Not only that, but Akashi wouldn’t ever know the value of that information, and Kuroko wouldn’t ever know what really hit him.

Before the end of practice, Mayuzumi made sure to stay a bit longer for cleanup than usual.

* * *

And that’s how he came up with his brilliant plan.

He made a few last reminders as he reviewed the steps he would take once Kuroko appeared. He sat down against a cream colored hill- just a bit taller than him- unwinding with yet another light novel he materialized out of thin air. Kicking back with a nice story would help ease the onslaught he had planned.

He should be here at any moment now…

As he read, his thoughts drifted to more questions that had surfaced, one of them having been in the back of his mind for quite a while.

Could he fall asleep in these dreams?

He definitely felt conscious enough in them to go even deeper. Wasn’t there something about lucid dreaming where someone’s actually in a state of near consciousness?

That might be why being startled in the dreams can rattle you enough into regaining awareness.

Slow footsteps through the marsh-like environment were heard, and Mayuzumi easily kept his eyes on the pages.

“Um…what is all of this?”

 **Step one:**  Act like nothing is out of the ordinary.

“I’ll give you one guess.”

He received no reply, so his only option was to close his novel and look up.

Kuroko was crouched down, finger poking a small mound of the substance all around as the eye could see.

“Vanilla ice cream?” Kuroko turned his head to Mayuzumi, eyes with a slight sparkle in them.

Silver eyes just stared bemusedly back, and Kuroko knew that he was right.

As Kuroko was about to dive headfirst into the sea of ice cream, he stopped as he second guessed himself.

What kind of game is he playing here?

“What are you waiting for?”

It was still a dead giveaway to Kuroko that the senior was interested, even as the senior still sat back, at ease.

 **Step two:**  Confuse the living hell out of Kuroko.

Kuroko glanced cautiously at the other, eyes pinpointed on the other’s expression. Who just lets ice cream just sit? One can’t just resist vanilla ice cream. There was some sort of trick here, and the only thing Kuroko could deduce through his vanilla clouded mind was that Mayuzumi knew about his ‘addiction,’ and was either: one, rewarding him- or two, poisoning him.

To a cynic like Mayuzumi, the latter sounded much more appealing.

But for what purpose? Could Kuroko actually get sick and die in his dreams? If so, he should probably just pinch himself awake now and go take some sleeping pills. Although, it wasn’t like there was any proof that he could go into a coma, much less die, in these dreams.

But then again, why would Mayuzumi try to poison him now?

Now of all times…

His thoughts drifted back to the last particular event before waking up last time, resisting the urge to go red in the face. No, not ever the time to ever think about that again.

 _‘_ _There aren’t any consequences,’_  Kuroko had to remember that. So he’ll just let himself go along with Mayuzumi’s game.

With that out of the way, Kuroko’s attention went back to the tempting prospect of ice cream diving.

Mayuzumi watched as Kuroko almost uncharacteristically flopped into a small mound of ice cream, the scene comical as he gradually sunk into the mound.

As Kuroko relished the sweetness of the treat, his mind picked up something odd.

This wasn’t vanilla ice cream.

Kuroko pulled himself into a sitting position again, wiping remnants of cream off, and licking a bit on his hand.

His heart nearly stopped.

This…

_This is chocolate!_

His head whipped at breakneck speed towards the senior still watching him, a blatant smirk threatening to break out into a mischievous grin.

Kuroko stared wide eyed and long, his expression hard and slightly creepy. Now, if Mayuzumi wasn’t busy holding in laughter over a glimpse of a shocked Kuroko, he might’ve been able to detect a wave of infuriation and some betrayal.

Sadly, that was not the case.

And so begins Mayuzumi’s downfall.

_"Senpai."_

_'Wait, what,'_  was the only thought Mayuzumi could muster, through taking short and quick breaths of air as he tried to calm down.

"Is all of this chocolate?" Kuroko spoke carefully, and Mayuzumi didn’t need his people observation skills to realize there was underlying hostility in the tone.

"Why don’t you find out?" He half challenged, after making sure his voice wouldn’t waver with a shortage of breath. His eyes narrowed and his smile grew daring. "Not like you can really do anything about it."

Without even shifting his face muscles more than a fraction, Kuroko’s countenance went dark.

In the next second, Mayuzumi had a face full of vanilla colored ice cream.

…

_Oh it’s on._

Quickly standing up and smearing the ice cream off his face, his expression went serious as he reached behind him to scoop some still frozen ice cream out of the hill he was resting against, launching it straight towards Kuroko.

The other easily dodged the well-aimed shot, well versed in the art of dodging Kagami punches. And with his newfound telekinesis ability, Kuroko heaved up a large mound of ice cream, sending it towards Mayuzumi like a tidal wave.

As vanilla colored ice cream washed over Mayuzumi, Kuroko watched intently for any sign that his attack had failed burying the other alive.

No movement.

Serves him right, for tricking him like that. If there had been a food inspector around here, Mayuzumi surely would’ve been arrested.

Actually, couldn’t he just do that himself? Dreams are wonderful in that aspect, after all.

Lost in his own thoughts, he only felt a cold, solid thwack to back of his head before he felt himself stumble forward and meet-

The dark ceiling of his bedroom.

"Eh?"

Kuroko sat up lethargically, sleepiness still wearing on his eyes. He couldn’t wake up now! He had a food fight to win!

Plopping himself back into his pillows, he easily slipped into unconsciousness again.

"Too naive, brat."

Letting surroundings sink in again, Kuroko turned to face the sneering visage of Mayuzumi, throwing an actual chocolate ice cream ball up in the air and catching it again.

 _‘_ _Just because this the first time you have reentered the dream quickly after waking up, doesn’t mean I’ll take it easy on you,’_  Mayuzumi briefly remarked to himself.

 **Step three:**  don’t make any actual vanilla ice cream.

"You’re not the only one with unique capabilities," Mayuzumi called, pelting another ball of ice cream at Kuroko with no effort.

That was still easy enough to avoid. What caught Kuroko off was a whole barrage of ice cream.

Unable to dodge them all, Kuroko could only bring his arms up to shield his face, holding up against the continuous pelt of accursed chocolate ice cream.

He didn’t have anything against chocolate in particular before, but tricking him earlier like that couldn’t be excused so easily!

That’s it. That’s what Mayuzumi’s whole ploy was: to brainwash Kuroko into liking chocolate. What better way than to do it while the other occupies his mind? And if the other had just wanted to have a food fight, using other food or maybe snow could’ve worked as well.

Or maybe Kuroko was just overthinking it.

All this chocolate must be clogging his thought process.

Focusing his thoughts on preparing a counterattack, Kuroko suspended a mound of ice cream behind himself, slowly packing it more and more, forming a giant cream ball.

 Hurling it on the unsuspecting senior was nearly too easy.

The barrage ceased as Kuroko hit Mayuzumi’s head with full force. And now, it was Kuroko’s turn to restrain his laughter.

Although he had an easier time hiding it from plenty of practice, he couldn’t help but let a short laugh slip out. Mayuzumi’s head was partially encased in a provisional helmet of ice cream, almost like someone wanted to make him into a snowman.

His face masked from view, Kuroko slowly crept up and patted more ice cream in between the cracks, and poked two small holes in where the eyes would be.

"Being a snowman suits you, Mayuzumi-san."

Mayuzumi’s arm shot out, grabbing ahold of Kuroko’s gakuran uniform in a death grip.

"Yeah well,” came a muffled voice dripping with irritation, “getting hypothermia from ‘building’ this snowman would suit you, too," and before Kuroko knew it, ice cream was shoved down inside his uniform.

_“Hee!”_

As he was dropped from Mayuzumi’s clutches, Kuroko would deny any claim that a high pitched squeak had erupted from him. His legs failed him as freezing cold ice cream melted down inside his shirt.

Shivering in a crouched position, Kuroko haphazardly grasped for his zipper, yanked it down, and shucked it off. Too cold to focus on cleaning himself or to control his body temperature, Kuroko scooched away and curled into a ball.

For his final trick, as Mayuzumi wiped off all the ice cream, he opted to finish this with some teleportation magic. Can’t end this showdown without their specialties-the disappearing act- now could they?

Out of nowhere, piles and piles of chocolate ice cream appeared in the air and buried Kuroko alive.

"Ah, is that too plain for you?" Mayuzumi called, holding in more chuckles, thankful that the other would have a hard time hearing.

A not so happy muffled sound was his reply.

"Don’t worry,” Mayuzumi continued with suppressed amusement, “I can fix it," and with a point of his finger, he shaped the pile into an igloo.

Another exasperated muffled reply.

"What was that?" he taunted.

Kuroko pushed through the igloo, given that there was no opening, and made it crumble in on itself as he rolled out. “You’re unbearable, Mayuzumi-san.”

"I can fire even more ice cream, you know."

"I think I’ll pass."

Time to put forth the next step in action, then.

 **Step four:**  if step three didn’t work to pester Kuroko enough, get more of a rise out of him.

"I can understand why you’re still so short. If all you like is this sort of food. Still sure you don’t feel that you need nutrition? That’s a shame, especially since you’re an athlete, shooorty-" Mayuzumi was cut off as another ball of ice cream whizzed past his face.

 ”Can’t handle the truth? Never took for you to be the immature type, short-GUH!”

_Rude._

This guy had the nice idea to give him an ignite pass to the face, and boy did it hurt. At least it wasn’t an ignite pass kai.

He half expected that, but who knew the brat had actual violent tendencies?

No harm in retaliating with his own, then.

Already rather pissed at the other, (though Kuroko was probably more so) Mayuzumi reared a fist back and aimed straight towards the other’s jaw, landing squarely.

Upon recoil, visible annoyance formed in Kuroko’s expression, eyes bordering on fury.

Mayuzumi had to admit, he didn’t think the other was capable of such a raw emotion, but that thought was quickly forgotten as Kuroko reciprocated the punch to his cheek.

For such a shorty, he had a mean hook.

Kuroko collapsed back onto the ice cream covered ground, cradling a newly forming bruise while trying to catch his breath.

Mayuzumi could easily do more damage, but he decided enough was enough. He had things to do tomorrow, (like read light novels) and he couldn’t have sleepiness deter him.

“Mayuzumi-san really is…” Kuroko paused for a breath, “unbearable.”

“What you said earlier,” Mayuzumi began, catching his own breath, “what was that about?”

“Earlier?”

“You calling me senpai.”

There was no visible flinch in Kuroko, but the hesitance-as small as it was- gave it all away. “…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Although it bothered him that Kuroko didn’t give a straight answer, Mayuzumi opted  to crouch down to Kuroko’s level with a sneer. “You know that anything can happen in here, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Look at all this ice cream here,” Mayuzumi gestured with a thumb, “it wouldn’t take much for me to dump all of that on you, and I can see that you’re worn out at this point. You might not wanna stress your mind out so much.”

Kuroko still looked confused.

The senior sighed, “You really haven’t figured it out? Can’t believe you need a fabrication of your mind to tell you.” Mayuzumi stared at Kuroko, cautious with his words so as to not give away the truth.

Kuroko stared back.

Mayuzumi stood back up, with Kuroko following in suit. “Unlike you, I have unlimited power here,” he lied through his teeth, hoping that the other wasn’t too aware of that. “You’ll be collapsing everywhere while awake if you’re actively stressing your mind and body while asleep,” The senior stepped forward and grabbed Kuroko by the collar.

 _“So it’s better if you just tell me,”_  he leaned and whispered in the other’s ear.

Kuroko’s breath hitched, pushing the other roughly away, his expression almost scandalized as Mayuzumi backed up with easygoing smirk.

“Or you know, I could do even worse things if that piques your interest,” While Mayuzumi hoped he wouldn’t have to resort to those tactics, since he wanted to actually be awake tomorrow, it wouldn’t hurt to threaten the other a bit.

“Senpai is a bully,” Kuroko stated with his ever monotone voice, walking over to pick up his discarded gakuran and slipping it on. “And I think maybe senpai is smart enough to understand why I choose to use it when I do.”

Getting sassy now are we?

_Real clever._

“But, I think I can admit that senpai isn’t a bad person,” Kuroko continued, adjusting his gakuran neatly.

_‘What.’_

“If anything, it might be that you’re just looking to have a bit of fun, even if it’s at mainly my expense,” He wiped cream off his gakuran. “Just please make sure that you don’t trick me next time,” Kuroko directed slightly menacing eyes towards the senior, still angry over not getting to enjoy vanilla ice cream.

Mayuzumi raised a brow, now caught off guard. Slowly though, he began chuckling. He couldn’t believe it. Just how can a guy get so soft hearted? Even with the thought of no consequences, this guy was still outright okay not throwing another punch or ingnite pass?

“I don’t understand what’s so funny,” Kuroko said, his voice blank once again.

Mayuzumi stopped and looked up with a soft expression. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll do something nice. “…Hey, Kuro-“

_-ing._

_Ding dong._

His eyes widened a fraction, as he realized what that sound was.

Mayuzumi quickly approached Kuroko and aggressively shoved ice cream into his face, then pushed him towards a tall mound of ice cream, not checking to confirm if the other really was incapacitated before he whited out.

Kuroko sunk into the ice cream, losing his footing. By the time he was able to pull himself out, Mayuzumi was nowhere in sight.

He licked some of the cream off his mouth. "...Vanilla."

* * *

“Mayuzumi-san!”

Said senior had to stop the incessant ringing of his doorbell, but at what cost?

“Hey, you don’t look too good, did you just wake up?” Hayama put a hand on his chin as if to inspect the other closely. “Ah, don’t tell me you were reading late into the night! That’s no good, Mayuzumi-san! You have to get a good amount of sleep, y’know. Akashi’ll be real mad if you don’t get enough rest cause that means we won’t do well in future competitions! Ah, but you’re a senior and that wouldn’t matter, haha-“

Aaaand, Mayuzumi tuned Hayama out.

As Hayama chattered on, Mayuzumi yawned and turned back into his home to contemplate just how many novels he still had yet to go through. Even after twenty seconds of going through his list, Hayama was still jabbering.

“You’re here because you want me to play street basketball.” Mayuzumi cut in, bored.

Hayama halted his prattling. “Yeah! How’d you know?”

The senior just blinked down at Hayama’s outfit: tank top, jacket, gym shorts, and a basketball hooked under his arm.

Following the other’s line of sight, Hayama chuckled. “Oh, right, right, haha. So, you up for it? Reo-nee and Ei-chan are already there! Akashi couldn’t make it for some reason, but you can’t pass up basketball, am I right?”

Mayuzumi continued to stare at Hayama, unimpressed.

Getting uncomfortable under the other’s expression, Hayama continued, “Well, I know you, haha. You need to tackle that stack of books, maybe some other time the-“

“I’ll go.”

“Huh?”

“Let me get ready first and then we can go.”

“Oh! Yeah, yeah, great to hear that!”

Mayuzumi opened up the door wider to let Hayama inside, before going to wash up.

Maybe some basketball will take his mind off everything. It'll be better than being cooped up at home, likely to think about the dreams--or more specifically, a certain blue haired brat.

Mayuzumi heaved a sigh.

* * *

“Dai-chan! Wake up already!” Momoi pulled back the covers from her still snoozing best friend. “It’s already ten and you said that you’d take me to go shopping today!”

“That’s fuckin’ cold, Satsuki! It’s the middle of winter, what the hell?” Aomine pushed off the bed, attempting to tug the covers back over himself, only for his hands to meet thin air, as Momoi had completely pulled them off and walked across the bedroom.

“Heh heh~” Momoi bunched up the blankets and started walking downstairs with them. “Better get dressed soon!”

“Oi, Satsuki!”

Not wanting to stand in the freezing cold room, Aomine carelessly threw a few articles of clothing on and took off after Momoi.

As he followed the girl downstairs, she placed them neatly on a couch before turning back to Aomine. “Good. You’re awake and ready! Err, maybe not so, you kinda stink, Dai-chan.”

“No thanks to you,” he added dryly.

“Well, I can wait! Go and shower and get ready, meanwhile I can put these blankets back and maybe clean your room,” Momoi’s expression hardened. “I better not find any gravure magazines!” She pointed accusingly.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Aomine dismissed, going back upstairs to get ready.  _‘She won’t find any cause I hid them well this time, nice going, Daiki!’_  he gave himself an internal thumbs up.

As Aomine nearly reached the top, he remembered something he wanted to ask. “Oi, Satsuki.”

“Hm?”

“What were you doing all day yesterday?”

The lack of immediate response told him that Momoi was probably lying. “Hm…nothing much. I just went to go hang out with friends at a café.”

“Is that so?” Aomine finally relented, knowing that he’d have to do more investigation himself.

It’s been bothering him, those texts that Momoi received from Kuroko.

“Hey Dai-chan,” Momoi began casually, “did you have any dreams last night?” she asked as she followed Aomine up the stairs.

“Well, there was this one where Horikita Mai-chan was-AGH!”

“I don’t want know any of your obscene dreams!” Momoi shouted as she whacked him upside the head.

“You’re the one who asked!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha very sorry please feel free to hit me with a pan. _(:3  
> This chapter was oh so difficult to write idk why it took so long (yes I do).  
> I have many routes of ideas I want to take so it might take some time, please bear with me.  
> Thank you for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Literally nothing happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How does Takao address girls omg
> 
> Due to some important outcomes while writing this chapter, Momoi's behavior back in chapter 5 has been altered slightly (kind of important if you wanna reread). Reasons are revealed in this chapter ;)

Aomine maneuvered leisurely through the bustling crowd with his friend, who was having a more difficult time seeing over the mass of heads. He swore that if he weren't tagging along behind her, Momoi would've already tripped twice on her feet from the push of the crowd.

"Ah, look, look, Dai-chan!" Momoi piped up.

A noncommittal grunt was the reply, as Aomine preferred not to bother this early in the morning.

"Hey, Midoriiin!" Momoi threw up her hand and began jumping up and down in the crowd, excited to see a friendly face.

 _'Oh,_ great, _'_  went unsaid by Aomine, not wanting for a day to be ruined already. He sighed and watched as his breath puffed out and faded in front of him. Why did Midorima have to be here?

Sharp eyes easily pinpointed the pink haired female, as a happy grin formed. "Neh, Shin-chan, over there!" Takao tapped his companion, accurately pointing out the bouncy pink hair through the bustling crowd, thanks to his Hawk Eye ability.

Midorima merely grunted, not in the mood to tolerate another person just as bubbly as Takao -not like he ever really was in the mood. Catching sight of Aomine was an easier feat, but that only generated more aversion, and before Takao could wave back to them, Midorima was leaving in the opposite direction.

"Shin-chan!" Takao called after, exasperated.

"Hurry, Dai-chan! Midorin and Takao-kun are leaving!" Momoi tugged at Aomine's arm still stuffed in the pockets of his coat. While normally Aomine would remain rooted in place no matter what, he reluctantly let himself be tugged away to just quickly get out of the crowd.

"Oi, we should at least go say hi! Come on, Shin-chan don't be so stingy, will ya?" Takao grabbed Midorima's shoulder, which proved ineffective as the green haired teen shrugged it off.

"I have business, Takao. I don't have time to spare today chatting away."

"Yeah, yeah," Takao dismissed. "You never have time for this, but you always have time for lucky items," he grinned, knowing he'd hit the nail on the head.

"It's serious business," Midorima clarified indignantly, pushing his glasses up almost reflexively.

"We literally have all day, Shin-chan. You're getting your lucky item for tomorrow, jeez," he continued to address his taller friend with a look of weariness.

"They'll continue to distract me if they come along," Midorima continued with the excuses, getting more and more impatient.

"Well," Takao slapped a hand onto Midorima's shoulder, "I managed to distract you, so it's a win for me!" Takao grinned triumphantly, and only then did Midorima realize that he had stopped walking in favor of correcting the other.

"Midoriiiin! Takao-kun!" Momoi caught up with the two, finally pushing past the crowd so she had a clear view of them.

Takao turned cheerily to Momoi, knowing he could use another acquaintance who wasn't a killjoy on this nice morning. "Ah, Momoi-chan, good morning!"

The two began further talking amongst themselves, leaving Aomine and Midorima out of the conversation. With nothing else to do, Aomine finally addressed the other, as much as he didn't want to.

"Yo, Midorima."

Midorima didn't reply, still caught with a resentful look on his face before quickly recomposing himself and turning to the other. "What are you doing here?" Midorima instead asked, his tone more demanding than usual.

Aomine tried not to let the other's less than amicable words get to him. "What, I can't go out shopping on a Sunday morning?"

"No, I just thought that you weren't capable of waking up so early," Midorima jabbed, not quite unintentionally.

Aomine's eye twitched, offended. "Hey, it's not my fault that your loud partner can outwit you so easily into meeting us."

"You say that, but Momoi nearly acts as your mother who cleans up after you."

That did it. A vein popped out of Aomine's temple. "Oi! Are you calling me a kid-"

"Hey, hey!" A cheery voice cut in, Takao walking in between the bickering children. "Why don't we all go shopping together? Twice the fun, agreed? All right, let's go!" Takao steered Midorima away before the other could retort anything, leading him in the direction of the shopping malls.

"Let's go, Dai-chan," Momoi flashed a reassuring smile, skipping off after them.

Aomine begrudgingly followed in suit, heaving another sigh.

* * *

After weaving their way through the packed crowd, the four of them reached the entrances to the plethora of department stores.

Nearly all of Midorima's complaints were ignored by Momoi and Takao, who opted to drag their companions wherever they pleased. Aomine could've cared less about where they were going, and soon lost count of all the stores they've visited. After a while, Midorima seemed to get fed up and finally broke away from the group to go locate a trinket shop. With nowhere else in mind, the three others followed him, large bags in tow.

The shop they found themselves in was compact, filled with various ceramic and plastic novelties. Many were arranged on high shelves or hung on display, and any wrong move would certainly break a trinket or two.

Momoi and Takao separated from their companions, as they strayed to check a section of the store selling cutesy keychains and mini figurines, while Aomine found himself following Midorima, where traditional looking ornaments and figurines were on display.

"Do you two go everywhere together?" Aomine felt himself asking.

"That's none of your business."

Aomine snorted, realizing that he should've known better to try and start small talk with the spinach head. Juvenile name calling, but hey, he hates spinach. Change of topic, then.

"Hey, have you seen Tetsu lately?" Aomine folded his arms behind his head.

Green eyes narrowed. "No, not since the Winter Cup. Why do you ask?"

Aomine hesitated, as he half expected for Midorima to say 'no' and drop the subject. His own question had been rather spontaneous, and now he realized that he the reason he asked was because it was weighing so heavily on his mind.

"…Satsuki lied to me about her so called  _date_  with Tetsu yesterday," he finally answered, putting emphasis on the word 'date'.

Midorima stopped inspecting a wind chime hooked on a rack. "What do you mean by  _date_?" his eyes strayed to look at Aomine from the side.

Glancing cautiously at their companions across the store, he said lowly, "I'm practically in the dark too. All I know is that they met up yesterday, since Tetsu texted her for one issue or another- something about dreams. And the only reason I know she lied is cause I managed to tail them for a bit after school before losing them," Blue eyes never strayed from the duo, watching as Momoi laughed at some joke Takao cracked as he pointed to something he was holding.

Midorima also followed the other's line of sight to the laughing pair. Mulling something over, he then pointed out, "I don't recall you ever involving yourself with a trivial matter like that, so why are you concerned?"

Aomine eyes swiveled back to the trinkets surrounding them, landing on a ceramic lion figurine and poking it. "I could be wrong, but back at Teiko, Tetsu's never been the one to ask Satsuki for help. It's always been the other way around. While I don't know whether he asked his teammates first or not, I doubt Satsuki was the last resort," his eyes squinted as his finger picked up dust from the figurine. "And if Satsuki had the gall to lie about it, it might be more of an issue than they're both willing to admit."

Green eyes directed their attention back to the figures on the shelves. "I still fail to recognize as to why you concern yourself with a matter like that. If anything, I find it uncharacteristic of you to be so involved."

 _'Helpful as ever,'_ Aomine couldn't help but remark to himself.

"You mentioned that the reason behind the rendezvous is because Kuroko wanted to discuss something related to dreams, correct? I'm certain those issues pertained to sleep won't be crucial, and this will soon pass over, considering that the only reason for fret would be if Kuroko were to be deprived of sleep," Midorima sounded sure of himself, as always.

Even so, Aomine continued staring at the lion figurine, and Midorima could tell the other remained unconvinced. "If by miraculous chance, this does turn into an issue, I'm also positive Kuroko would ask you or Momoi for help, if he doesn't fix it himself sooner."

Midorima picked off a wind chime from where it hung, moving to the front counter to pay for the item, leaving Aomine to his own wits.

Blue eyes remained clouded in thought, unable to the shake the foreboding feeling settling in his mind.

* * *

Kuroko sat down in his desk chair, finally having the time to recoup after barely arriving back home, having spent it running errands all afternoon. He just had a few more things to do for homework before he could completely relax.

Although, he found it difficult to focus on homework when his thoughts kept drifting back to the dream last night, once again confused by the sequence of events and how it concluded, and more importantly why Mayuzumi was behaving that way.

Maybe flipping through Momoi's notes would help him figure something out.

Kuroko rifled through his book bag and pulled out the notebook, setting it on his desk table. He noticed a small cutesy drawing in sharpie on the corner of the cover, a pink baby chick with a speech bubble saying: "For Tetsu-kun! 3"

Kuroko let a fond smile stretch onto his face, still appreciative of the amount of work the other had put into the notes.

Flipping open to the first page, he was amazed to see a table of contents written on the first page to guide him, topics ranging from states of awareness, to dreaming itself, and to symbolism.

His eyes scanned down the list, topics branching off into different subtopics, a few that he still weren't able to gather from just a small description. He flipped to the first section, on the consciousness.

It was simple enough, describing the three states of consciousness. Though, towards the bottom of the page, Momoi's notes brushed upon something new to Kuroko, as he read the Katakana for the name of a supposed researcher.

 _'Sigmund Freud_ ,' he read to himself, puzzled as he glanced over the few bulletin points about his research. He read the miniscule note in the corner: "Flip to Dream Theory section."

Locating the section, the first few bulletin points described how theories on dreams were inaccurate. Momoi's notes read,  _"Nearly every analysis on the contents of dreams are, in all honesty, false. Sigmund Freud, who was well known in analyzing people's dreams of what they remember and the symbolism, is not considered to be credible today. It is true that there are many common themes within dreams shared amongst people (such as falling from high elevations), but most predictions to the underlying meaning behind these themes tend to lack any worth, and will not affect future dreams or human psyche in the awakened state."_

In other words, it would be useless for Kuroko to try and decipher any hidden meaning behind his dreams.

He had to admit, he wasn't quite expecting such an outcome, since the biggest question that he wanted the answer to was why Mayuzumi was exclusively the one to pop up in his dreams.

Needing more of the facts, he flipped to a different topic.

New terminology greeted him, and only set off more confusion as he jumped from sentence to sentence. Reading into it, however, he easily began to grasp the concepts, written in neat handwriting.

Momoi worded her notes splendidly, with a few diagrams to help him get the picture. He really needed to thank her for this later.

As he continued to read, the notes failed to cover anything reminiscent of his own dreams. He did expect that the notes wouldn't cover something like the senior's more unpredictable and individualistic behavior, but maybe it would least mention a thing or two on vivid dreaming, right?

He continued skimming through the pages, looking for anything that would catch his eye. In the middle of the Brain Activity section, he finally located a side topic labeled 'Lucid Dreaming.' This caught his attention, and he began reading.

_Lucid dreaming: any dream state where one is aware they are dreaming._

_Lucid dreaming is a somewhat controversial topic, as some claim that this state can be dangerous to experience, as well as the fact that there have been accounts of long-term side effects in achieving this state of unconsciousness._

Kuroko blinked, a bit off put. His eyes strayed to the margins of the page, seeing a personal note addressed to him from Momoi.

"Tetsu-kun, I highly suggest not trying out lucid dreaming yourself. By what you have mentioned to me, it sounds like you've been experiencing lucid dreams, so I definitely do not recommend you continue down this path," Momoi finished the annotation with a frowny face, and Kuroko deduced that this note was added during their meet up.

Another small note was added towards the bottom, reading, "I didn't mention all of these things while we met up because it seemed too harsh to break to you. ヾ(｡﹏｡)ﾉﾞ Not while you seemed to be talking so fondly of your dreams…Is Mayuzumi-san that fun of a person to you?"

Kuroko stiffened, and he couldn't control himself as he could feel his face heating up, but quickly subsided as he reread the message, realizing that the "harsh" news was probably why Momoi had been acting strange during their meetup. But just  _what_  was so severe that she couldn't mention it? Finding his place, he continued.

_Most accounts describe this state to be dangerous due to the chance of sleep paralysis occurring._

_Sleep paralysis is a method used by our bodies keep us in place while we are asleep, but at times, people will rouse from sleep still locked in this state, fully aware and conscious, yet still unable to move._

_Although it's uncommon for lucid dreamers to experience this, there are also other dangerous outcomes, particularly with people who have become fixated with lucid dreams. Stories of people sleeping more and more, because they are fascinated with what their minds can conjure, until one can't even discern dreaming and reality, are rather terrifying._

Kuroko suppressed a shiver as he pressed on.

_In the situation where one does continue this dangerous sleep cycle can lead to hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness). Other than excessive sleeping, hypersomnia is caused by, but not limited to: sleep deprivation, drug or alcohol abuse, sleep disorders, and head injuries._

Kuroko's ever blank expression morphed into shock as he reread that paragraph to make sure he wasn't reading it wrong.

 _Head injuries._ Is that the cause of all this?

Kuroko froze, eyes staring off into space as he remembered Momoi's fidgety behavior. So this was what Momoi couldn't break to him.

Still, this didn't mean that he did actually have hypersomnia.

If he did, this also meant that there was a possibility the real Mayuzumi was going through the same thing, being terribly drowsy throughout the day.

Was that correlated with his dreams as well?

He clearly has been more tired as of late, particularly today, as he realized that Mayuzumi's warning of stressing his mind too much did prove to be true. But how did he not make the connection before? The only possible reason was that his mind had figured it out while dreaming last night, and had manifested in the form of Mayuzumi's warning.

But then there was the dream he had two nights ago, the one where he was chased, and where he recalled being under high levels of stress, yet he felt fine upon being awake.

As he turned the idea over in his head, more unanswerable questions arose, serving to completely befuddle Kuroko, pushing him back to square one.

He grew frustrated, seemingly getting nowhere in interpreting his experiences. If he couldn't figure it out now, he might as well start documenting them. He flipped through the notebook to a blank section, taking a pencil out and started to jot down a few reminders and questions, creating the overarching theme that he would hopefully answer.

Why do these dreams keep happening? And for what purpose?

At that moment, Kuroko yawned, noticing that the sun was beginning to disappear over the horizon. And with the setting sun, he began to question if this really was worth all the effort. He hadn't really gotten any useful information, but even so, the dreams had only just begun. And, odd as they may be, they haven't displayed any serious side effects. If he did ever come across any issues that Momoi had listed, he could just start taking sleeping pills.

But his first priority was to finish the section of the notes, so he flipped back to where he left off.

* * *

It had been a long and tiresome day for Mayuzumi, who now lay facing up on his couch, reading away at his stack of light novels with only the dim light from his lamp to assist him in his peruse.

He probably should change the lightbulb, since it was already beginning to flicker between on and off, but as long as he could read the words smoothly down the page, he would continue to ignore that issue.

But alas, his eyelids were drooping, and with the onset of the evening, he was ready to retire for the night.

He snaps his novel shut, setting it on the couch and sitting up. As he rubbed his eyes, he couldn't help but think he'd been much too sleepy today, even though he sort of toned down energy use while dreaming. Besides, playing street ball all day had to have woken him up, so why was he already nodding off?

Maybe he'll just shower and go to bed. But that meant he had to deal with the brat all over again. And while he had a devised a large plan to toy with Kuroko throughout successive dreams, the way the younger boy had behaved last time made Mayuzumi think twice in actually executing them.

What, has he grown soft?

Mayuzumi resisted the urge to facepalm.

He reaches his bathroom, opening up the shower curtain and twisting the water nozzle on.

It wouldn't hurt to mess with the other's head a bit more, though. He could leave something like a memento with the other before he finds a way to cut off this weird telepathic connection they have.

Albeit there's no method that he's found that is leading him towards breaking the connection, and _hell_ , he didn't even know if it was possible.

Whatever. He'll cross that bridge when he comes to it.

* * *

Light blue eyes blink wearily at the text scrawled across the pages, unfocused as he tries to continue reading.

_There are some stories where people who have tried lucid dreaming end up hospitalized, primarily from incessant paranoia and fear while conscious. Although, once again, these cases are rare, and will only happen if one pursues lucid dreaming nearly every time they fall asleep._

Try as he may, Kuroko finds himself unable to resume reading, and with that, he stands up to go prepare for bed.

With he has read, it's safe to assume that he will need sleeping pills at some point. He enters his bathroom, locating the medicine cabinet.

He files through the cabinet, pulling out a bottle of sleeping pills used occasionally by the whole family. He pops open the bottle, seeing that there were only a few capsules left, before shaking one out. Reading the dosage, he was about to take it before he remembered he needed to check the side effects.

Side effects include: changes in appetite, dizziness,  _daytime drowsiness_ …

Kuroko returned the bottle back into the cabinet.

If one of the conditions he wanted to avoid could possibly happen while taking this, he'd rather use this for when he found it absolutely necessary.

Plus, one more night of dreams couldn't hurt, right?

Kuroko makes his way back to his bedroom. Turning off the lights, he climbs under the covers and finds himself quickly drifting off.

The notes are indecipherable in the darkness of the bedroom, but the written text a sleeping phantom has forgotten about reads:

_In the case of hypersomnia, the sleep cycle will become progressively more difficult to break out of as time goes on. And, although once again rarely, research has shown that if it goes on long enough, it will result in a coma or early death._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That very last bit is half true. None of my research shows that sleeping more and more causes people to go into comas, lol.  
> But nothing really happened... .-. I'm sorry that this chapter is more filler and info than anything else ergh and it took so long and was so difficult to write (mainly cause of research). I will try and make a more interesting one next time :>  
> Thank you for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe Kuroko should've taken the sleeping pills

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've gotten most of the important plot development out of the way, so it's only gonna be dreaming for a few chapters! ;D  
> Thank you taikodrum for helping me with this chapter! (*＾ワ＾*)  
> Also it's not big, but there may be some…questionable things in this (coughs).

When Kuroko happened to drop in, he definitely wasn't prepared for a full on blizzard to buffet him, lashing out and strong enough to nearly tip him over. It was as if his dreams were now punishing him, telling him that  _yes_ , it was a bad choice to dream again tonight.

Time to wake up then.

But… _how?_

He pinched his cheek experimentally.

Nothing happened.

Kuroko didn't have time to think about it further though, as another harsh whip of wind blew past him, and he shuddered. He crossed his arms, trying to conserve the minimal heat he had.  _Quickly_ , he needed to locate shelter.

It was dark, and Kuroko could only barely make out a faint, orange glow in the distance. With nowhere else that even seemed remotely safe, he began trudging towards the light.

He resisted the unforgiving onslaught of snow, wobbling from time to time as he slowly inched towards his destination. Slowly, slowly, even as he felt that it was useless- given that the only thing between him and freezing to death was his school uniform- he steeled himself and refused to tremble, which served to only impair his movement.

After what seemed like an eternity, he reached the source of the light, finding a small cave with a decently sized fire to provide warmth. Terribly worn-out and shivering, he slumped onto the cave floor, the surface unpaved as he sank into the dirt. Heaving for air, the faint scent of smoke emitting from the flames served to calm him.

"Oi."

Kuroko lifted his head weakly, spotting nothing but the fire and a few shadows dancing across the cavern walls.

"Get up, we don't have time to waste," the irate voice called again, closer this time.

Kuroko kept peering around, seeing nothing. He sat up confusedly, still shivering, and lifted himself to walk towards the fire. "Is someone there?" he finally asked, his voice resonating in the small cave.

He felt something nudge his leg. "Down here, brat."

Baby blue eyes shifted down cautiously, meeting a…

_Cat?_

An adult sized cat stared blankly up at him. Kuroko could only give his own deadpan stare back, his mind incapable of processing the strange new event in front of him.

But then, the voice that came from the cat…

His eyes narrowed a tad, studying the cat, as he tried to form the proper words. "Mayuzumi-san?"

"About time you recognized me," the cat spoke, the voice unlike its usual deepness. He turned on his heel, going back towards the fire, his grey fur tinted a warm golden color. "And before you ask, _no,_  I can't change back to normal right now, but that's why you're here to help me."

Kuroko blinked questioningly, still quite at a loss for words.

"Here," Mayuzumi snatched a piece of paper up from the ground with his mouth, as Kuroko walked closer to the fire for more heat. Handing the tattered sheet of paper to Kuroko, the other took it and read what he could of it, given that there were a few shreds in the paper.

_If you want to turn back into a human, make the journey across the mountain and find the spring located inside a crystal cave._

There was a simple map drawn to help guide them, but Kuroko found it too vague to actually benefit them. It was a single curved pathway, with their starting point being a plain cave, leading to a house, then a pointed hill with clouds, and finally a pond, where he assumed was the destination.

"…Are you the reason why this paper is slightly torn?" Kuroko inspected the rips, which were running vertically down on the paper.

He doubted that Mayuzumi's hearing was failing, so he deduced that the cat chose to ignore him.

Was it honestly that frustrating to discover that you had turned into a cat? Kuroko couldn't imagine what that sort of wake up call that would feel like.

More like a  _cat-_ call.

…

This was not the time to make Izuki proud.

Kuroko forced his attention back to the makeshift map, still completely unconvinced that it would be of use to them. At least it wasn't worded to be an enigmatic poem that came straight from those adventure stories. He folded up the paper, pocketing it. He then shifted his attention to Mayuzumi. "Did you say that you need me to help you return to normal?"

"Does it look like I can do it myself?" was the irritable reply. "I can't even use any of my abilities while I'm like this. Even if I were still human, It'd take more than just perseverance to survive a blizzard of that caliber."

Kuroko merely blinked at the cat, staying silent.

After a few more seconds with no answer, Mayuzumi's stance shifted, turning aggressive. "So are you gonna help me, or just stand there like an idiot?"

"…Let me hold you."

"What?" Mayuzumi couldn't have heard correctly.

"Please let me hold you," Kuroko repeated, as he squatted down, reaching for Mayuzumi. Mayuzumi wasn't notably pleasant to handle, but the idea of a cat Mayuzumi wasn't so bad. Kuroko needed to at least  _attempt_  to coax the other into letting him pet his soft fur.

"Oh, hell no!" Mayuzumi dashed away, running around the fire and escaping farther back, but not far enough as the cave ended not too deep in.

Kuroko calmly strode after Mayuzumi, as he chased him around the fire until Mayuzumi was trapped between the storm and Kuroko.

Unwilling to face the storm, Mayuzumi hesitantly looked behind him at Kuroko, who was crouched, arms open and waiting patiently with a small, reassuring smile for Mayuzumi.

_Fuck no._  Mayuzumi attempted to sprint around the now taller person, but was still too slow as Kuroko grabbed him with both hands by his upper torso, a content expression on his face as he lifted the senior up closer to him.

"Hold me any closer and I'll fucking scratch you," silver feline eyes narrowed, flashing his claws threateningly.

Kuroko's tiny smile dropped, but not in response to Mayuzumi's attempt at intimidation. Blue eyes studied the paws that now took the place of human hands, almost fascinated.

"I don't want to help you," Kuroko admitted.

Mayuzumi gave Kuroko a blank stare, unamused. "Too bad, you're going to have to whether you like it or not."

"I like you better as a cat," Kuroko slowly lowered the other to the ground, only to grab ahold of the petite paws. "Your paws are very cute, Mayuzumi-san."

_'Hah!?'_ Mayuzumi was stupefied, trying to muster up some sort of reply, only to fall short and give Kuroko the most incredulous look he could as a cat.  _'Just how ridiculous is this guy?'_

While Mayuzumi remained distracted, Kuroko took the opportunity to clap his paws together, and then rub his thumbs against the pink pads, massaging them gently.

Snapping out of his shock, Mayuzumi grew pissed as Kuroko continued, and without warning, lashed out, swiping and scratching a fresh wound upon Kuroko's hand.

Kuroko's hands quickly retracted, wincing from the pain of the fresh wound. He inspected it, noting that it wasn't very deep but stretched more than an inch. "Even as a cat, Mayuzumi-san is still a bully," he accused, his eyes downcast. "And just when I thought you were okay with it," his voice was more dejected than usual, as if he felt double-crossed, but with just one look, Mayuzumi could tell that it was all an act.

Clearly, this guy was playing with him. He wasn't actually offended by any of the things Mayuzumi had done, rather, he just wanted to guilt trip Mayuzumi into giving in. Had Mayuzumi been a human, there would've most definitely been an irritated tick mark near his temple.

So he's gonna play it that way, huh?

Hissing, Mayuzumi pounced on the other. Kuroko shifted to the side out of alarm, making Mayuzumi miss his mark and aim straight towards the fire.

"Ah, watch out!" Kuroko made a move to grab Mayuzumi, but his reaction was too slow, Mayuzumi's tail slipping through his fingers.

Mayuzumi twisted his body to try and avoid the flames by doing a roll in the air, and he crash landed on his side next to the fire. Although, the same could not be said for the tip of his tail, which ended up immersed in the flames.

He gave a loud yowl, as he scrambled away from the fire and struggled to appease the pain. He zigzagged away from Kuroko, until he knocked into the cave wall head first, recoiling and halting in place.

Kuroko wasted no time, pulling some of the snow from outside with a wave of his hand, and carefully moved closer to the injured cat. Gingerly, he took Mayuzumi's tail and cooled the burn, the snow melting upon contact.

"Are you okay?" Kuroko once again picked up Mayuzumi, sitting down against the wall and bringing him closer to set upon his lap.

Too in pain to retaliate, Mayuzumi could only begrudgingly let Kuroko pet him, an unappreciative frown on his face as Kuroko soothingly scratched his chin and behind his ears.

Unable to resist the tender ministrations, Mayuzumi melted in Kuroko's arms, body betraying him as he relaxed. In a final effort of resentment, he grumbled out, "…I hate you," which sounded halfhearted at best, drowned out by his purrs and meows.

Kuroko continued petting him.

* * *

"We need to get going," Mayuzumi called, facing the raging storm outside.

Kuroko sat crosslegged, warming up by the fire. He breathed on his hands and rubbed them together, careful so that he wouldn't irritate his scratch."I'd prefer not to, with such a strong blizzard. And since you mentioned that your abilities are suppressed, I don't think I could survive out there while holding you."

"What, you still can't make a cloak or something?" Mayuzumi turned back into the cave, flicking his gnarled tail out irritably.

"No, I still can't," Kuroko answered.

It was silent for a few minutes, with only the crackling on the fire as it burned the wood. Mayuzumi walked over to Kuroko, as he contemplated trying something.

"…Hold still," Mayuzumi looked down at his paws, then back at Kuroko, blue eyes staring back curiously. He leaped up onto Kuroko's lap again, and before the other could protest, Mayuzumi stuffed his head underneath Kuroko's gakuran, effectively startling Kuroko enough to tense up. While Kuroko was frozen in place, he shuffled farther in, enveloped in the warmth of Kuroko's torso.

"M-mayuzumi-san, that tickles," still stunned, Kuroko shifted awkwardly, his movements broken as he resisted laughing. "P-please stop," he spoke, voice wavering.

Mayuzumi disregarded him, opting to shove his body in farther, and Kuroko could feel paws scrambling for some purchase. Kuroko muffled a laugh with a hand, and then used his other one to zip down his gakuran.

"So you didn't wake up," Mayuzumi concluded, his head popping out of the uniform. He then jumped out and out of Kuroko's personal space.

Kuroko coughed to hide a chuckle. "Should I have woken up?" he smoothed out his gakuran -and expression.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that was enough to shock you into waking up, but it looks like you can't."

"Eh?" Kuroko blinked, all traces of mirth gone. "What do you mean?"

"Normally, if you're surprised, you should wake up immediately. And you should also wake up if you force yourself. Try pinching yourself awake."

He had tried earlier while within the storm, but Kuroko complied and pinched his cheek again.

As expected, nothing happened.

That would be troublesome. If he and Kuroko weren't able to exit the dream, there would be no second chances if they happened to be attacked, and possibly worse,  _killed._

But first and foremost, they needed to be protected against the storm, and preferably find a weapon as soon as possible. If push comes to shove, Kuroko will have to do without them.

"Can't you at least try making a cloak? Or maybe even a knife?"

Blue eyes hid themselves as Kuroko focused, palm outstretched in front of him. Mayuzumi waited for a few tense moments, until he heard a defeated sigh from Kuroko, knowing that it was futile.

"Since that won't work, the only option is for you to maintain a protective barrier around us while traveling through the storm."

Kuroko still looked reluctant. "Is there really no other option? Can't we just wait this out?"

"I'd also prefer to stay here, but you don't have that luxury. Time is the largest factor in this, and the faster we reach the destination, the faster you'll wake up," Mayuzumi explained, his gaze turned sharp, addressing Kuroko seriously. "You  _do_ want to wake up, right?"

Kuroko blinked, only now remembering all the notes Momoi had given him. If he regret not taking the pills before, he certainly did now, since he couldn't afford to be trapped in this world for more than one night's worth of sleep. The only problem was, he didn't even have the slightest clue as to how long it would take to turn Mayuzumi back to normal. And even if they were successful, there was no guarantee that he'd be able to wake up.

Nevertheless, this was a matter of do or die. His gaze unwavering, he assured in a firm voice, "Of course."

Mayuzumi shifted his eyes to the fire. "You'll need to take the fire along as well."

"Ah, that's a good idea," pulling back his hand, Kuroko watched the flames coil into a fiery tornado from the invisible tug, settling calmly within the palm of his hand. Only charcoal and unburnt wood remained where the flame had once been.

The flame floated along with Kuroko's open palm, and his feet moved on their own to the entrance of the cave, picking Mayuzumi up off the ground with his free hand and setting him upon his shoulder.

"Put me down, I can walk on my own," Mayuzumi flailed, wanting off.

"I think you would be buried in the snow with that size, Mayuzumi-san," Kuroko steadied his grasp on the feline.

Mayuzumi wanted to argue further, but instead choose to sigh resignedly. After all, Kuroko wasn't wrong. Once Kuroko was certain that the other wouldn't protest, he scrunched up his eyelids, concentrating as he formed a shield, surrounding them entirely.

He stepped out of the cave, trembling as the temperature still seeped through his defense, but continued into the blizzard, nonetheless.

* * *

Eventually, Kuroko found himself slowing exponentially, even as Mayuzumi reminded him that they couldn't have been traveling for more than an hour.

_'Looks like using a barrier and maintaining a fire requires more energy than this brat possesses,'_ Mayuzumi shifted his eyes to look at Kuroko from the side, observing his determined visage as he continued his endeavor through frigid wind.

So far, Mayuzumi had gathered that they were in some sort of mountain range, as with his now improved night vision, he was able to see far greater distances than Kuroko, who struggled to even see more than a few feet. At this rate, they would need to stop somewhere safe soon, or risk being frozen solid. About a half a mile away, if Mayuzumi squinted, he could make out an entrance to another cave.

"Over there," Mayuzumi gestured towards the cave with a paw.

A small grunt came from Kuroko, as he drew in a deep breath. He managed one more step through the snow before he staggered and his legs gave out on him. Mayuzumi felt a sudden drop as Kuroko stopped to kneel in the snow.

"Oi, you can't stop here," Mayuzumi attempted to spur on the other.

"…I'm sorry, Mayuzumi-san, but I cannot keep this up."

Judging by the bits of hail pelting through the barrier, Kuroko was unable to continue holding it.

On high alert and almost out of reflex, Mayuzumi focused as well, trying to rectify the barrier before the storm put out the flame.

More hail fell through the holes, attacking them and getting scarily close to extinguishing the flame, as it flickered within Kuroko's hold.

Mayuzumi strained his mind, blocking out all distractions and centralizing all of his concentration on their only source of protection.

And as if by sheer miracle, the barrier reformed around them, shielding off the icy wind once again.

Kuroko gave a sigh of relief, feeling drained, although it appeared he was still putting forth every effort to retain the flame.

"We're nearly there, keep going," Mayuzumi grit out.

After a few more seconds, Kuroko stood back up, his free arm reaching up to make sure Mayuzumi was secure on his shoulder. Although he was unsteady, he picked up his pace.

Mayuzumi could see how difficult it was for Kuroko to balance his energy on the barrier and fire, as it took nearly all of his concentration just to hold the barrier around them.

_'Must be a side effect of turning into a cat._ '

"Did your abilities return?" Kuroko asked.

Mayuzumi was unable to form a reply, attention directed solely on the barrier.

With each step, it was becoming increasingly more difficult to maintain his focus, and he could feel his control slipping

Without any word of warning, Kuroko gave huge steps forward, kicking up snow behind him as he could feel the frost soaking his pants.

_'Shit!'_

Jostled, Mayuzumi's focus dissipated, and the barrier disappeared, leaving them both to face the unrelenting storm.

Neither had the time to point fingers at whose fault it was though, as ice whipped at them, and Kuroko watched as the flame was quickly extinguished. Mayuzumi's grip on Kuroko's uniform was steadily slipping, the storm howling and incessant.

Trembling, Kuroko grabbed ahold of the cat carefully with icy hands, although with oncoming frostbite nipping at his fingertips, his movements were clumsy, fumbling with the cat.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Mayuzumi thrashed in Kuroko's grasp, blinded by the snow.

"Please don't worry," Kuroko had a hard time speaking normally through the bone-chilling cold, but went ahead and adjusted his arm to hold Mayuzumi with one arm. He then used his free hand to zip down his uniform partially and stuff the cat inside, zipping the uniform up again, just leaving enough space so that Mayuzumi wouldn't suffocate.

"Oi, Kuroko!"

Kuroko ignored him, bringing up his arms to shield his view from the barrage of ice.

Putting forth all his leftover strength into their destination, he bolted in the direction Mayuzumi had instructed.

Mayuzumi could do nothing as Kuroko held him inside his gakuran, and if he tilted his head just a bit, his ear would be pressed up against the other's wildly beating heart.

He realized his own heart was beating nearly in sync with Kuroko's, and he wanted to claw at the gakuran in shame as he realized what that meant.

And although it was warm, Mayuzumi could feel Kuroko's body temperature dropping rapidly.

If only he could do something, anything, then  _maybe-_

"There's a cave a bit to your left!"

Nearly tripping once again, Kuroko refused to let his legs fail him for the umpteenth time, and even though he could feel his legs burning, and his whole body telling him to yield, he paid no heed and charged.

The cave entrance was close.

_Just a bit farther!_

With a few more leaps, the cave acted as liberation from the storm as Kuroko skidded, his whole body freezing up and finally toppling over. Colliding with the cave ground on his left shoulder so as to not crush Mayuzumi, the cat rolled out of the confinements of the gakuran, stopping a few inches away.

Expectedly, Kuroko was panting for dear life, shivering and convulsing. Mayuzumi approached the other's head, immediately realizing that Kuroko was running a high fever, as his red face was bright even in the dim cave.

His sensitive ears picked up on a low, echoing sound within the cave, signifying that this cave was much more vast than the other one.

More importantly, that sound might be an indication of a threat.

"…M-mayuzumi-san…" Kuroko's voice was weak, who continued to shiver, curling up into a ball.

"I'm fine, don't speak."

_Plink._

…

_Plink._

_…_

Something was inside the cave, and judging by the sound, they were carrying something metallic.

"…Brat, get up."

Kuroko didn't respond.

"I said  _get up_ ," Mayuzumi repeated, tone more urgent.

Still no reply.

_'Shit, is he unconscious?'_

Mayuzumi swiveled his eyes around, searching for a place to hide. His feline eyes were once again put to good use when he noticed a hiding spot not too far within. Lowering his head, he bit down on the back collar of Kuroko's uniform, and with copious amounts of effort, he was able to drag the other.

Tugging Kuroko deeper in the cave, he located the crevice between the wall and a large stone. It was suitable enough, especially since they both already had low presences. Hurriedly, he dragged Kuroko towards the opening, his effort only increasing when the sounds began steadily approaching them.

Holding his breath even after the strenuous exertion, he nudged Kuroko's limbs closer together, concealing them just as an extra precaution.

_Clunk…_

_Clunk…_

The sound was more like footsteps now, leisurely drawing near them. Mayuzumi crouched down, ready to attack.

_Clunk…Plink._

_Clunk…Plink._

Any moment now.

…

The sound ceased.

Mayuzumi slowly exhaled, still cautious.

…

_Clunk…_

The sound was farther this time.

After a few moments, the sounds retreated, dully echoing.

Mayuzumi sucked in another breath, somewhat relieved. He turned back to the sleeping face of Kuroko, staring.

His gaze drifted down towards the scratch he inflicted upon Kuroko, expression going sullen.

_'Just how much trouble do I have to go through with you?'_

Sneaking over to the other, he continued to examine the wound.

He would never admit it out loud, but he was starting to feel the tiniest sliver of guilt.

Maybe he'll take a short rest as well.

…

_Clunk._

The sound came from right behind him, and Mayuzumi went rigid.

_'How did…?!'_ Mayuzumi whipped around, his body failing to react speedily enough as he surveyed the figure. It wasn't possible, how were their presences detected so easily?!

A tall, hooded figure in a long cloak loomed over the two of them. It took a moment, but now no longer shocked, Mayuzumi hissed furiously at the stranger, his fur standing on end and in a position to strike at any moment.

A gloved hand extended out from underneath their cloak, reaching for Kuroko.

The grey cat lunged, fangs bared as he attempted to latch onto the offending limb, instead cut short by a sudden burst of energy against him, knocking him backward onto the chilly, stone ground.

It was suddenly cold,  _too cold,_  much more than his fur could insulate against. He couldn't tell if he had actually landed in the snow, or if the stranger had done something to him. The cold numbed him, rendering him immobile as Mayuzumi lied on his side. Fruitlessly screaming at his own body to move, he could only watch through half-lidded eyes as the figure grabbed ahold of Kuroko, lifting him up.

And then his vision blurred into darkness.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hohoho.  
> Thank you for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The intense dreams continue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I’m so sorry.
> 
> Thank you guys so much for the many nice reviews last chapter. Thank you so much for sticking with this story holy moly. Makes my heart very happy :> (please feel free to kick my ass).

“Have you seen Kuroko-kun?” Riko tapped her clipboard with her pen.

“No, did he not scare you like usual?” Izuki joked.

Riko’s lips pursed, her eyes shooting an unamused stare at Izuki; and the upcoming pun that he had brilliantly just thought of died in his throat. That didn’t stop him from whipping out his notes however, swiftly jotting the joke down.

She shifted her attention to Kagami, who was warming up before they began their usual practice in the morning. “Kagami-kun, what about you?”

“Haven’t seen him. I would text him, but Kuroko usually forgets to check his phone.”

“I’m sure he’ll get here. Don’t worry,” Kiyoshi piped up, stepping from behind Riko and flashing a reassuring smile. “You know how Kuroko is, quite the airhead, isn’t he?”

“That’s you, d’aho!” Hyuuga interjected.

Riko managed an appreciative smile in reply, but her concerned expression remained in her eyes. It didn’t have to do with the so called  _weird dreams_  as of late, right?

“…Yeah, I hope you’re right,” her response was more to soothe herself rather than Kiyoshi.

* * *

When Kuroko regained consciousness, the warm scent of burning incense (was it jasmine?) greeted him. Feeling woozy and chilly, his breathing came with difficulty. The bed he was lying in was warm and inviting, and he would’ve gladly continued sleeping, before he realized it wasn’t his bed.

Had he been someone like Kagami, he would’ve shot up immediately with a shout. He knew better than that though, and therefore remained rooted in his spot on the bed, assessing the situation just as a shadow would. His eyes darted around, informing him that it was now daylight, the wind rattling the windows of the cabin that sheltered him. No one was in sight of the side of the bed he lied upon.

“Have you come to?”

Kuroko nearly flinched at the new voice, which was deep and gruff, like sandpaper.

“It’s alright, child. I know that you are awake.”

Slowly turning around on the bed, Kuroko blinked as he took in the appearance of the man with caution. The stranger sat on a wooden stool a few feet away from the bed, his arm resting upon a matching wooden table.

Years and years’ worth of time had worn his appearance, his wrinkled skin and greying hair proved that. His skin was a deep umber, marred with small blemishes which were obscured by his unruly beard. His eyes, however, were bright and filled with warmth, seemingly twinkling in the light.

He wore a simple sweater and muffler for the weather. His lower half was covered by a large black cloak, which draped down to the woven rug on the floor. A low fire burned in the fireplace to provide extra heat.

A ceramic mug, along with a pair of brown leather gloves sat off to the side atop the table. Next to that were the incense and the burner, emitting a thin trail of smoke.

Kuroko made a move to sit up, pushing back the covers of the blankets, only to cringe and shiver as cold air met him, as if his uniform were made of nothing but a layer of sheer fabric. He scrambles to cover himself up again, the blankets providing adequate heat in the meantime. Kuroko might’ve even pulled the sheets up over his head, if it weren’t for the stranger nearby.

“I would advise to continue sleeping. You have hypothermia, child,” the man spared a sympathetic look. “Even with a fire, it will take more than just that to cure you.”

“Wh…” Kuroko’s voice fails him, a wheeze replacing his upcoming question.

“Hush, you must continue resting.”

Kuroko clears his throat this time, “Is my...cat all right?” mustering up energy to speak still fails him, his speech slurred.

The man’s eyes flick towards the other end of the bed.

Kuroko follows his line of sight, craning his neck to see that Mayuzumi was resting atop the blankets, curled up beside his feet.

A relieved sigh escapes Kuroko, glad that the stranger hadn’t harmed Mayuzumi in any way.

“He’s not actually your cat, is he?”

Kuroko directs his attention back towards the man, caught off guard. He blinks, before nodding. “H...ow did you...know?”

There’s an amused glint in the other’s eye. “Just a hunch,” is his enigmatic answer. He then picks up the mug, taking a sip before setting it down again. “In fact, I also feel that he isn’t even a cat. Rather, a human in the body of one.”

Kuroko blinks again, eyes widening the tiniest bit. More apprehensive this time around, he then gives another slow nod.

The man smiles as if he were playing around. “And now, you two are searching for a way to fix this.”

“Yeah, and as much as we’d like to stay, this issue comes first,” Mayuzumi speaks up.

Kuroko shifts without disturbing the blankets, seeing that Mayuzumi has now woken up. His tail swishes from side to side, glaring at the man. Mayuzumi then pads across the blanket, stopping next to Kuroko’s shoulders and sitting. He situates himself so that Kuroko is between him and the stranger.

“As much as I believe you’d like to leave, your sick friend may not agree there.”

Mayuzumi just  _tches,_ leaving it at that.

“But never mind that now, I think the soup I prepared is ready,” the man stands up, placing his cloak over his seat. “If you’d like to sit up, I can find another blanket to keep you from freezing,” he then leaves into another room to retrieve said items.

“Oi, brat,” Mayuzumi speaks in a low whisper, waiting to see if the man would return. “...Don’t ever do what you did in the blizzard again.”

Kuroko turns his head towards Mayuzumi, bemused. “...What do you mean?”

“Don’t go making any reckless decisions like that again, got it?” Mayuzumi’s tone remains neutral, but Kuroko thinks he hears the suppressed urgency in it.

It’s silent for a bit, until Mayuzumi prods again, “Well?”

“...I’m not promising anything...Mayuzumi-san.”

Mayuzumi heaves a sigh, knowing that will be the best answer he’ll get with the stubborn brat. “Then don’t drink the soup.”

“Why not?”

“What do you mean  _why not?_  It obviously will have some weird drug that’ll hinder you later.”

Leave it to Mayuzumi to be the skeptic. Kuroko knew very well this wasn’t reality, so he replied, “How...would you know?”

“Just trust me. Don’t drink the soup.”

“I need to...or else I won’t get better,” Kuroko remains defiant, knowing that if the man wanted to do something like that, he wouldn’t have decided to help them from the beginning.

The man returns with a folded blanket in one arm, and a steaming bowl in the other hand. “My apologies for keeping you waiting, child.”

Kuroko just shakes his head as he sits up with caution. “No, thank you for your help.”

Kuroko shivers as his upper half escapes the blankets, breath coming more shallowly. The man quickly drapes the blanket over Kuroko’s shoulders, and then hands him the soup.

A savory aroma fills Kuroko's nostrils, and only then does he realize how hungry he is. Lentils float inside the bowl, which don’t look very appetizing, but Kuroko could care less at this point.

“Thank you for the meal,” he brings the spoon towards himself, only to feel a piercing stare come from the cat.

Kuroko doesn’t need to look at Mayuzumi in order to confirm the intense glare of disapproval.

It’d be rude not to drink it anyway, and Kuroko is just glad that Mayuzumi has the decency to not knock the bowl out of his hands.

Though, Kuroko wouldn’t put it past Mayuzumi to do so.

He entertains the thought that Mayuzumi is just a jealous feline who wants soup, as he takes his first careful sip. “It’s delicious,” which is his honest opinion. Within a few seconds, he surprises even himself with how briskly he downs it.

“I’m glad that you enjoy it,” the man then addresses Mayuzumi, “would you like anything to eat?”

Mayuzumi ignores the stranger. Kuroko isn't sure if this is because the man had wronged Mayuzumi (unlikely), or because Mayuzumi abhors everyone anyway (likely).

Mayuzumi’s stare continues to linger, watching Kuroko finish up his soup. Mayuzumi admits to himself that he's hungry, but there's no way he's accepting food from  _this guy_. After a minute, he decides to address the stranger. “Who are you?” his tone isn’t the most cordial, implying to Kuroko that maybe the man did indeed enrage the cat in some way.

Instead of answering, the man continues to tend to Kuroko. “Do you feel better now?” he takes the bowl away, setting it aside on the table.

Mayuzumi grits his teeth in irritation, having just gotten a taste of his own medicine.

“I do. Thank you very much,” Kuroko pulls the blanket up closer to himself, still shivering even with hot soup in his tummy.

Mayuzumi then decides to jump over Kuroko and to the edge of the bed, closing the distance between him and the man to make sure that the other won’t ignore him. “I said,  _who are you?_ ”

The stranger’s line of sight then shifts to Mayuzumi, expression remaining courteous. He answers with a secretive gleam in his eye. “My name isn’t all that important, so I’ll save you children the trouble of remembering it.”

Mayuzumi really doesn’t like how this guy was avoiding his questions and referring to them as children. In his dreams or not, it was getting on his nerves. He continues his interrogation. “Where is this? Still in the mountains?”

“That’s right, this is my log cabin up in these frigid peaks,” then as if remembering something important, he added, “I’m the one who picked you up from inside the cave.”

“I thought so,” Mayuzumi seethed. “Want to share why you attacked us?”

Blue eyes slid towards Mayuzumi, panicked and slightly confused. Kuroko's grip tightened around his blanket. “This man attacked us?”

“He certainly didn’t mail us a letter and seal it with a kiss in order to invite us here,” is the snide reply.

Kuroko blinked at the strange humor. He concluded that he would never understand how weird Mayuzumi was.

An easygoing smile stretches upon the man’s face. “I figured that you children would like a hand or two, as it was clear that Kuroko-kun was in no condition to be outside in the blizzard.”

Mayuzumi was about to demand how the man knew Kuroko’s name, until he realized that was a dumb question, as this person was a projection of his own mind.

“That doesn’t explain why you flagrantly took us by force over here,” even if this man was created from Mayuzumi's imagination, it seemed like some things remained to be inexplicable, or even out of his control in these dreams. It was either that, or this was Kuroko’s mind doing the work.

“Also, that doesn’t explain why you snuck up on us and didn’t reveal yourself before be—“

_“Go get it, boy!”_

And much too suddenly, Mayuzumi stops mid-sentence as his eyes dilate and follow a darting object through the air. All of his feline instincts take over, and rationality flies away faster than Mayuzumi jumps after the object, heedless of the distraction that was clearly meant to interrupt him. Kuroko merely stares deadpan at the humorous sight, trying to discern what the transparent object is, as it scurries across the floor.

“...What is that?”

“Just a little gift from me,” the stranger chuckles, “after all, cats do love to chase mice.”

“A mouse?” Kuroko’s eyes attempt to follow the animal, but only see a warped shape running in loop-de-loops as Mayuzumi tails it.

“It’s made of ice.”

A yowl escapes Mayuzumi as the mouse jumps on top of his back, before running off and escaping. “Get back here!”

Kuroko blinks rapidly, still not quite up to speed.

“I picked up a few magic tricks along all these years,” stretching out his palm, the man then generates a trail of ice in midair, rotating his hand to hold the ice. It builds up on top of his palm, constructing fine swirls which meticulously fashion themselves into a delicate ice bird.

Kuroko reveres the bird in silent awe, which comes to life before his eyes and hops around in the man’s hand. It then takes flight, soaring across the room and resting upon a windowsill.

“Why don’t you go back to sleep, Kuroko-kun? You’re still sick, after all.”

Snapping out of his state of wonderment, Kuroko looks towards the cat still struggling to nab the mouse. “Ah, but Mayu—my cat…”

As if that were enough to finally break Mayuzumi out of his predatory state, his attention snaps straight back towards the culprit of it all. “ _You fucker!_ ” Mayuzumi hisses, angry that he fell for the man’s trap.

“Did you want to rest with him?” the man asks, standing up to go grab Mayuzumi.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” Mayuzumi’s fur stands on end, and he makes a beeline towards Kuroko.

Kuroko remains silent, unsure if he should speak up or not. After all, it wasn't like he was Mayuzumi's owner, and as rude as he was, it didn't seem like the man was bothered by him. When Mayuzumi jumps back up onto the bed, Kuroko takes Mayuzumi into his arms almost out of reflex.

“Oh, good,” the man’s eyes crinkle into a smile. “Looks like he did so out of his own volition.”

Mayuzumi fidgets in Kuroko’s hands. “Oi, brat, let me go,” but there’s no real bite to it. Nevertheless, Kuroko releases his hold.

Mayuzumi keeps a close watch on the suspicious stranger, eyeing the mouse that proceeds to run up the stranger’s arm.

Mayuzumi resists any nagging urges to continue chasing the mouse, and continues to scowl.

“I’m sure Kuroko-kun needs to sleep more,” the man then sends a pointed look towards Mayuzumi, maintaining his smile.  “Mayuzumi-kun wants to do so as well,  _correct?_ ”

Mayuzumi cringes at that, managing to hide his reaction, but the bad vibes he receives never falter, thinking that the stranger smiled too much.

“Don’t worry, I won’t be going anywhere.”

Mayuzumi just thinks that everyone would be happier if he went away, but unfortunately, Kuroko does need help with his current condition.

“I am...feeling sleepier, now that I have eaten,” Kuroko blinks bleary eyes, struggling to keep them open.

“No, wait brat, don’t fall asleep. We’ve still got unanswered questions!”

“I’m...too tired, Mayuzumi-san,” Kuroko sinks back into the covers, retreating from consciousness.

“...Fine, but I’m not sleeping,” Mayuzumi’s gaze never wavers, “I still have questions.”

“That's all right with me.”

Mayuzumi can’t help but glance at Kuroko, who is now sleeping quietly. Looks like if this stranger attacked them, Mayuzumi would have to take all the responsibility to get them away to safety. That definitely was not a thought he enjoyed.

“What is this place?” Mayuzumi crosses one paw over the other.

“I’m assuming you mean the name of this land, correct?” he looked off to the side briefly, at the mug. “Well, it’s not hard to find out, considering the name is printed across many objects,” he smiled as he stood up, picking up the mug and holding it so the bottom was tilted towards the cat. “This land is named Piatou, not a bad name, don't you think?”

As expected, bold letters were printed upon the bottom of the mug.

“It sounds like ‘potato,’” Mayuzumi quipped.

The man smiles almost unintentionally. “It certainly does, doesn’t it? But I wouldn't go saying that everywhere you go. Many people don't take lightly to the kingdom name being made the butt of a joke.”

“This is a kingdom?”

“Indeed it is, but my abode is built just outside of the boundary of where everyone else lives.”

“So I’m guessing the actual kingdom is off this mountain?”

The man nods.

Mayuzumi curses his luck. From what he remembers with the map, that means he’ll have to get off this mountain, then scale  _yet another mountain._ He continues with, “Is this the only mountain here?”

“No, the peak we are currently on is only part of the huge mountain range that surrounds the kingdom.”

_Shit._  The more informed he was about this, the more it seemed to not bode well for Mayuzumi. “How far is the central part of the kingdom? I’m guessing there’s a ruler of some kind, right?”

“That’s right. The kingdom is down this mountain and takes a few days to get there on foot.” The man’s smile faded just a bit into slight surprise. “You don’t plan on meeting the king, do you?”

“No,” Mayuzumi didn’t think going to a spring inside a cave needed to involve any king, at least.

But days of traveling on foot? They needed to travel faster than that, and hopefully without expending too much of Kuroko’s energy. “How do you get down this mountain, then?”

“Well, the same way that the both of you children climbed up,” the man quirks his eyebrows.

Was this guy serious? Did he scale this mountain with just the help of maybe a few ice climbing tools? Then  _build a fucking log cabin_  on top? Where’d he even get the logs to do so? Mayuzumi was sure he didn’t see any trees up here.

Whatever, dream logic never made sense anyway.

“I’m guessing that you two would like a way down without always precariously dangling off the many ledges,” the man chuckled. “Then I’ve got the perfect solution for you. It’ll take some time to make, but I’m sure it will prove useful for you children.”

“What is it?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

Mayuzumi fixes a stony look upon the stranger, not appreciative of yet another vague answer. “How long exactly will it take?”

“Give or take a few hours,” the man stands up, taking the empty bowl with him. “I’m sure you two are in a hurry, so I’ll get started upon it now,” he then leaves the room.

Hopefully the stranger hadn’t lied about anything, but Mayuzumi knows well enough he can’t trust every word here. It didn’t help that Kuroko was still bedridden, and who knows for how long. There’s no time to waste, and Mayuzumi is almost sure that they’ll need to get moving before Kuroko is fully healed.

But as of now, sleepiness was overtaking him. As much as he didn’t want to sleep in a stranger’s cabin, maybe a moment of shuteye wouldn’t hurt. Besides, his hearing was better as a cat, so he’s sure he’d be able to wake up upon danger.

He glances at Kuroko sleeping, then curls up next to Kuroko on the blankets and does the same.

* * *

When Kuroko awoke, he was greeted with the sight of Mayuzumi sitting with his back towards him, next to his knees. His gnarled tail flops side to side against the blanket, matching the beat of a second hand upon a clock.

The moonlight shines through the window, not illuminating much, but is enough to light the cabin up and bask Mayuzumi’s fur in a halo of light. There is no longer any snow falling, and instead a tranquil hush permeates the atmosphere.

Kuroko shifts so that he can sit up. Mayuzumi turns his head at the movement, looking behind his shoulder to see that Kuroko has woken up. He hadn’t really noticed it before, but apparently cats have a wider range of vision than humans, so he has no trouble seeing Kuroko.

“Feeling better?”

“I...do feel less cold.”

“Think we can get moving by dawn?”

“...Doesn’t hypothermia take...longer than a day to cure?” given that Kuroko’s speech was still slurred, it seemed that way.

Mayuzumi turns his head back around, going back to staring into the darkness. “Hell if I know. I’m no doctor. Doesn’t matter though, because the priority right now is getting you to wake up as soon as possible.”

Kuroko blinks in understanding, and then lies back down to tuck himself in. Mayuzumi as a cat was truly a more enjoyable experience, especially since he couldn’t do anything supernatural. Besides the perpetual nervousness over not being able to wake up, Kuroko was able to enjoy the quiet exchanges between him and Mayuzumi. Maybe the cat could continue to not be so insufferable. Then again, maybe that was just wishful thinking on Kuroko’s part.

After a moment of silence, Kuroko seems to register something, “Aren’t you cold?” he shifts his head to see Mayuzumi’s head poking out over the top of the blankets.

“Why, you want to cuddle or some shit?” Mayuzumi pulls a face, unseen by the other.

“That’s not what I meant...but that does give me an idea.”

“That’s never good,” the cat taunts.

Kuroko ignores the attempt at mockery, opting to lift up the covers and pull them back instead. Mayuzumi doesn’t know why, but this pisses him off more than it should. The brat was somehow even more composed than usual. Maybe some symptom of hypothermia?

“Do you want to sleep...under the covers with me?”

Mayuzumi snorted. “In your dreams.”

“This  _is_  my dream.”

“Touché,” Mayuzumi played along.

“So is that a yes?” Kuroko anticipates.

“No.”

Mayuzumi thinks he sees Kuroko deflate. He pulls the cover back in place, and Mayuzumi smirks to himself.

Both lapse into silence. Kuroko closes his eyes, feeling peaceful sleep claiming him. It’s not long before Mayuzumi hears the telltale sound of Kuroko’s breathing even out.

Mayuzumi stays awake, having finally let his guard down earlier in the stranger’s cabin in order to get some rest. Still, he’d like to enjoy the warmth of the fireplace for the time being. He hops off the bed with the impeccable grace of a feline to do so.

Upon becoming a cat, he has felt himself become even lazier than before. He wants to sleep more, eat more, roll around, and get more scratches behind his ea—

_No_. No he doesn't. He's no pet. He's a human,  _damn it!_

He walks over to the still crackling fireplace, curling up next to it. Yup, this is totally something a lazy housecat would do.

Never mind the fact that he would spend whole weeks shut inside his home during summer breaks to read light novels or watch anime. Even before becoming a cat, he’s been sleeping more, and now he has to sleep while sleeping. What was this shit, Inception?

He finds himself so caught up with his musings that he almost doesn’t catch the sound of something scratching.

The sound is so small that he needs to perk up his ears to listen closer, the scraping continuing to come from somewhere in the other rooms.

Curious, Mayuzumi silently maneuvers his way out of the room Kuroko was in, and finds himself in a small hallway.

The scratching seems to come from a room down at the other end of the hall. There’s light peeking out from the slightly ajar door, so Mayuzumi assumes that the stranger is in there.

Now, Mayuzumi has never been the daredevil, but something was nagging at him to at least check what was going on.

So down the hall he creeps, tip toeing as much as he can as a cat.

As expected, the scratching noise grows louder in that direction, and his interest piques further. Step after step, Mayuzumi finally reaches the door. The scratching is much clearer, which sounds like the scraping of wood.

With bated breath, he is about to tilt his head to look through the crack of the door…

And sees some object fly past his vision, scurrying back down the other end of the hallway.

All his senses go on alert, and Mayuzumi leaps after the object, identifying it as the mouse from earlier. He chases the mouse back into the room where Kuroko is sleeping, and tails it until it hops up unto the windowsill near the lower end of the bed.

Mayuzumi looks up at the large height of the windowsill, gauging the distance before leaping up to the ledge. He’s glad that there are no curtains that he has to move out of the way. Because he's pretty sure he'd tear them to shreds in order to do that.

He lands on top with a wobble, but it’s nothing that his tail can’t balance out.

The mouse is trapped now, sitting in the corner right next to the window pane. Mayuzumi doesn’t hesitate to make a grab for it, ready to crush it within his claws.

His paw flattens the mouse, but then the mouse melts in his grasp. The water drips off his paw, seeps through the cracks of the window, and then reforms back into ice on the other side. Mayuzumi feels his eye twitch involuntarily, not believing that he just let his prey get away like that.

_The fucking cheat._  If he didn’t know any better, he would say that the mouse was smirking at him with its nonexistent mouth. He hasn’t felt the need to flip someone off so badly before, and lo and behold,  _he can’t even fucking do it._

Being a cat sucks major dick.

He thinks he sees the mouse laugh at him, before jumping away and out of sight.

_Fuck you too, shitty mouse._

He hadn't noticed it before, but something that looked like a sheathed knife sat atop the window ledge next to him.

How convenient.

He snatches up the knife into his mouth, checking behind him to see if anyone had seen him.

No one was in sight. Thief or not, this knife was his now. Score.

He couldn't unsheathe the blade, so hopefully he could hang on to it long enough for Kuroko to use.

With the mouse gone, Mayuzumi is left to stare outside the window, snow having buried everything in sight. It remains bright even in the nighttime, easily reflecting all the moonlight and revealing any figure that might be outside.

And as if that thought had triggered it, something moves within the darkness. Mayuzumi tenses up, not sure if he was imagining things, or if there was something watching him out there. He lies in wait, his eyes taking in all movement possible.

There is not a footprint in the snow to be seen, yet Mayuzumi can’t shake the sneaking suspicion that something isn’t right.

Then he sees the mouse poke itself back into the view of the windowsill, racing across the ledge.

He slaps a paw against the glass where the mouse is next to, earning a surprised squeak.

Satisfied, Mayuzumi is about to continue his meaningless game of whack-the-mouse, but stops as he sees it melt again. It floats up a few inches, reforming into what looks like a sharp icicle—aimed straight at him.

_Oh shit._

Mayuzumi drops the knife in surprise. Not even a second passes before the icicle shoots through the glass, breaking it with a loud crack. Mayuzumi feels the icicle slice a strand of fur off his cheek, and he stumbles backwards until he slips off the windowsill.

A colorful string of curses escape his mouth. His plummet is like the slow motion effect found in movies, and then the painful crash against the floor forces him back into real time.

“Mayuzumi-san?” he hears come from a still half asleep Kuroko. “What happe—”

“Get up and run!” he stands up even though his back is screaming at him.

Kuroko sits up, but remains calm. “What’s the matter?”

“Idiot, grab everything you can and get out of here!” without missing a beat, Mayuzumi makes a beeline towards the front door.

Kuroko nods, but still doesn't register any danger.

The icicle reforms after cracking into pieces, this time aimed towards Kuroko.

Mayuzumi watches behind his shoulder to see Kuroko standing up to put on his shoes, the icicle going unnoticed.

_“Get out of the way!”_

Finally alarmed, Kuroko dives and hides behind the bed, the icicle firing and shattering against bedpost inches away from his head. It’s a miracle that Kuroko remains unscathed.

Mayuzumi lets out a breath he didn't know was holding.

Kuroko shivers, still cold from hypothermia. He then checks if the coast is clear, before pulling the blankets off the bed and wrapping them around himself as he slips on his shoes.

“Kuroko, qui—”

A loud explosion of glass bursts from behind Mayuzumi, the tremor strong enough to shake the cabin. Mayuzumi isn’t even able to turn around before a blizzard smashes through the rest of the window, whipping up a fierce wind within the cabin.

Mayuzumi is swept up by the blast of ice, and is incapable of seeing through the shards of ice, before being flung out the window.

“Mayuzumi-san!” Kuroko calls through the roaring blizzard, and is fortunately able to hold his ground against the onslaught of ice. The blankets block off plenty of the freezing cold as Kuroko tries to move against the violent wind.

Where was the kind old man? Wouldn’t he be at least  _slightly_  concerned that his house was being blown to bits? Unless…

Kuroko grits his teeth, knowing that his body temperature was dropping faster than usual with his current condition.

If the man was nowhere to be found, then the only explanation was that the man created this blizzard, and now was driving them out.

Seems like Mayuzumi was right after all.

At that very moment, Kuroko feels his vision blur, becoming weak. His legs lose all coordination, and Kuroko can’t seem to think straight.

He collapses onto the floor with a heavy thud, helpless in the unrelenting wind. His last thought was if this was indeed all planned out by the man, a sadistic ruse.

He clutches onto the blankets with all his might, but can’t fight against unconsciousness that successfully overtakes him.

* * *

Mayuzumi lands in the snow harshly with a grunt, rolling to a stop. It’s cold as can be, but thank God that he didn’t get injured after flying for such a great distance. The view up above while spinning in the air was not something he’d like to experience again.

Popping his head out from the snow and shaking it all off, he’s once again glad for the fact that he now has a fur coat to protect him.

That being said, he’s still furious over the fact that he’s still tiny as can be.

 He takes in the new area around him. To one side is the side of a cliff that towers over him, and the other side stretches a few yards before stopping as the edge of another cliff.

Kuroko was nowhere in sight.

Mayuzumi is not the type to panic, but this situation was definitely much worse than a lot of experiences he's been through. He hadn't the slightest clue as to where to go from here or even if he could do anything effective as a cat. Which direction was the cabin? Which direction was the kingdom? He didn't even have Kuroko to consult, and he wasn't even sure if the other was alive.

Mayuzumi releases a shaky breath, shivering in the snow.

There's no other option but to keep going. Even without Kuroko, his objective was the same.

Still, the feeling of dread welled up inside of him. He didn't want to care, but try as he might, he was still worried about the brat.

Reluctantly, he lets out a loud meow. It echoes around the mountain range, but silence is the only response he gets.

The fear settles in, until he notices that something was in the snow next to where he landed. Uncovering the snow, he digs up the knife he had dropped earlier.

Great. Still doesn't help him.

He walks over to the edge of the cliff and peers down, meeting only a large chasm, with no end to it in sight. Spectacular. He's fucking trapped.

Mayuzumi groans to himself, sending snow flying everywhere in his frustration. "Brat, get your ass over here and get me off this ledge!" he yells out vain, finally giving up and lying down in defeat. The situation is looking grimmer than ever, so Mayuzumi's only coping method is to grumble over his torment. He glares into the darkness, cursing everything that has ever wronged him. "Goddamn brat and these goddamn dreams and goddamn old man—"

“Yooo!”

Mayuzumi shoots up in his spot, startled.

“Heard you crying over here, and came by to save the day!”

Mayuzumi stares incredulously at the person in front of him, flying leisurely with a pair of wings on his back.

“…Aren’t you that Shuutoku point guard?”

“Wow, I’m your hero and you can’t even remember my name. It hurts, really.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Did anyone catch the secret? ;D   
> Oh man, I’m so sorry this took so long. I have no good excuse. Just terribly busy.  
> >> I feel so bad after taking like ten years. Forgive me, lol.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nice old man, a cool hero, and a suffering cat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully updates will continue to be quicker.  
> Thanks so much drumdrum (taikodrum) for proofreading this! :>  
> Beware slight OOC Takao.

“...do...rec...l ever wi...ing..to do...o.”

“...an... le...u do a...you...ease. You... de...roy...king...m.”

There’s one voice that Kuroko recognizes through his hazy awareness, and the other is unknown to him. After lying in silence for a few moments, Kuroko guesses that they’re engaged in an argument, based upon their urgent tones.

Kuroko had woken up with a jump moments ago, and had been ready to just shoot out the door in search of Mayuzumi. That was the most likely place to start looking for the cat, given that Mayuzumi wasn’t beside his feet when he woke up. There are a few bad consequences that would come with that decision; however, Kuroko had the sensibility to continue lying in bed.

As important as the argument seems—and therefore it’d probably be useful to eavesdrop—Kuroko doesn’t want to risk betraying the old man’s trust.

Given the fact that he woke up in the morning still safe and sound in bed, it was likely that the storm last night wasn’t caused by the old man.

That doesn’t stop Kuroko from fretting over Mayuzumi. He truly hopes that the other is safe. Mayuzumi is not the type to give in so easily, right?

Then again, since this is all a fictional storyline in his head, if Mayuzumi did happen to be in trouble, should he even care—

No, no. Kuroko mustn’t think of that. He chases that thought away before it can take root.

He forces his attention upon the two speakers in the other room, wondering exactly who the old man is speaking with. Try as he might, Kuroko can’t decipher the conversation. He at least wishes they would hurry, since he can’t afford to sit around and wait when Mayuzumi needs his help out there.

He sits up, glad to realize that he’s feeling less cold this morning. He looks around, expecting for books, papers, and furniture to be scattered about the room, but sees that it’s neat and tidy. He then checks the window to assess the damage from last night, only to find it in a similar pristine condition.

What.

It’s devoid of any damage, which makes Kuroko blink his eyes in disbelief. How was the room fixed all in one night?

Was last night all just an illusion?

A dream?

A dream within a dream?

Kuroko never knew that he could confuse himself so much.

He finds himself rethinking his train of thought and begins spacing out, until he hears a set of footsteps approaching the room he’s in.

“Good morning,” he greets.

The old man steps into view from the doorway, smile as jovial as ever. “Good morning, child.”

“Were you talki—” Kuroko cuts himself off, as he sees another figure…float itself into the room?

His brain can’t handle being muddled this much.

Kuroko isn’t sure, but he believes that what he is seeing is a small, orange cloud with a grin revealing a set of sharp teeth. It possesses no other notable traits.

“Oh, ignore them, they’re not important,” the old man steps in front of the cloud.

The thing barks a guttural laugh, “What, not gonna introduce me to the kid?” they snicker.

“I don’t think Kuroko-kun could handle meeting you right now,” the old man’s expression grows serious.

“‘Course the kid can,” the cloud floats up over the man’s shoulder, “Come on, Aru. The kid didn’t survive that blizzard to-”

“Quiet, you,” he waves his hand over his shoulder, effectively freezing the cloud’s mouth shut.

Kuroko hears angry muffled noises coming from the cloud as it panics, bouncing itself furiously upon the old man’s shoulder.

The old man heaves a sigh, clearly tired of the cloud’s antics. With another wave of his hand, he freezes the cloud in place, and it drops to the floor with a comical thunk.

Kuroko stares, not because he really wants to, but because he doesn’t have anything better to do. At least he knows now to never get on the old man’s bad side.

“Now that that is out of the way,” the old man turns his attention back to Kuroko, “I’m glad you seem to be feeling better. Would you like anything to eat?”

Kuroko blinks, thinking hard about his next words. “...No thank you?”

“Why the uncertainty?” the old man makes his way over to the wooden seat next to the bed.

Unsure eyes take a gander at the still frozen block of cloud, and then switch back to the man. “Should I call you Aru-san?”

Aru’s eyebrows perk up, “Oh, so you caught that,” he chuckles lightly. “If you’d like to, then I’m fine with it,” he seats himself.

Kuroko finds himself wanting to ask a plethora of questions, now that his head is clearer. He fidgets with the blankets, not knowing where to begin.

“I suspect that you are still puzzled, and for a good reason. Do not worry. I’m sure one of the questions weighing upon your mind is what exactly happened last night.”

Kuroko nods.

“It’s a long story,” Aru eyes the cloud in his peripheral, “I’ll keep it simple. The sprite right there, they were the one who destroyed my window last night, and caused all that chaos.”

Kuroko hadn’t expected such an outcome. When they first walked in, Kuroko had thought they were friends. Quite the weird friendship, if it could even be considered one.

However, there’s a more pressing issue on Kuroko’s mind, “Shouldn’t they be stopped?”

Aru nods, “It’s why I’m here,” his smile weakens. “They don’t have the best intentions, but they’re not so bad once they exhaust their power. As you can see, they become a vulnerable cloud sprite.”

Kuroko thinks about another question. “How did you fix everything within one night?” Aru couldn’t possibly have spent the whole night cleaning everything, right?

“A magician never reveals his secrets,” Aru snaps his finger, and a fireball appears in his hand.

It’s just endless surprises from Aru, one after another. Kuroko is nothing short of impressed. “That’s understandable,” Kuroko had plenty of experience being a magician himself. Except if he’s assuming correctly, then Aru had just revealed his secret as to how he fixed the window.

Aru spins his wrist over, and the flame disappears. “Now I’m sure that you want to go chase after your cat. I don’t exactly know where he went off, but—”

“His expression was hilarious when he was blown out the window,” out of nowhere, the cloud appears right in front of Kuroko’s face.

Kuroko jolts, backing his head away like his nose was about to be bitten off.

The cloud’s grin widens, snickering at Kuroko’s reaction.

“Get out of Kuroko-kun’s personal space,” Aru stands up, using his hand to push the cloud away from Kuroko.

“You’re no fun, Aru. Can’t I get a whiff of this kid?”

Kuroko backs away a bit more at that.

“You don’t even have a sense of smell.”

“Hey, what the kid doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

Aru fixes a stern look at the sprite.

“Come oooon,” the cloud rolls in the air. “You’re always on my case about understanding humans better, but you won’t even let me lick his face.”

Kuroko breaks into a cold sweat. He tilts his face away, silently asking for Aru’s help.

“Don’t you dare try that,” Aru lights another fire on his palm.

“Yeesh,” the cloud frowns, his smile making a complete 180 and backing away more from Kuroko.

They turn to Kuroko, grin back in place like they never heard a word from Aru. “It’s a damn shame. Your skin would’ve frozen upon contact.”

The flame in Aru’s hand grows as Kuroko shows more signs of discomfort.

“Ey, no biggie. The worst case scenario would’ve been severe frostbite.”

“...I would’ve not appreciated that very much,” Kuroko looks to the side.

The cloud’s expression goes neutral. They become strangely silent, and even though Kuroko has experience reading people, this sprite is a difficult one to grasp. Quite possibly because they don’t possess any eyes. What about his statement made it so peculiar?

“Kid, you’re an interesting one, all right. Strange, but interesting,” their grin reappears with ease.

“We’re busy here. You can come again another time,” Aru makes a shooing motion at the cloud.

“Boooorrinng,” the cloud drawls, “Aru, do you just sit on your ass all day kidn—GYAAA!”

“That’s enough,” Aru shoots the fireball towards the sprite, setting them ablaze.

The sprite whizzes away, continuing to scream. They smack into the ceiling, then drop to the ground in a pitiful pile of soot.

Kuroko thinks he hears a measly, “That was uncalled for…” come from the black remains.

“I’m sorry, child. They’re really a handful,” Aru suppresses a sigh.

Kuroko tries to quell his palpitating heart, but otherwise retains his smooth visage. “It’s no problem.”

Aru smiles in understanding, knowing that Kuroko is only being polite. “If you’re feeling better, then I’m sure you want to get going right now.”

Kuroko nods.

“I will try not to stall, but I do need to give you a few things. Please wait here for a moment,” Aru stands back up, his cloak sweeping behind him as he exits the room.

Kuroko blinks, not expecting Aru’s generosity. Kuroko is about to voice his thanks, until he realizes that Aru has already left. Looks like his head still isn’t too clear.

With nothing else to do, he takes this moment to lean to the side to examine the cloud on the ground near his bed. The sprite is now nothing more than ashes, except its mouth is somehow still intact, coughing up smoke.

“Are you okay?” Kuroko can’t help but ask.

The sprite coughs more, “Okay?” cough, “Never been—” cough, “better.”

This cloud sprite is more strange, in Kuroko’s opinion. At least this is better than trying to survive another blizzard. Kuroko definitely wouldn’t enjoy yet another journey through a snowstorm.

Aru returns, holding a long white cloak and a shoulder bag. “Take these.”

“Thank you very much, Aru-san,” Kuroko lifts the blankets off of him, shifting so that he can stand up.

“There’s one final thing,” Aru points to the cloak in Kuroko’s hands.

Kuroko unfolds the cloak, noting that it appears similar to Aru’s.

“Mayuzumi-kun led me to believe that you two didn’t intend to end up on this mountain.”

Kuroko’s movements slow, putting more focus into listening. If Aru asked about his origins, he couldn’t possibly conjure a sufficient enough lie.

“Relax, child,” Aru sits back down. “I then came to the conclusion of preparing something more useful for your journey. I hope it will benefit you.”

Kuroko slips the cloak over himself, finding that the fabric lining the inside is soft and warm. “What is it?”

“Don’t let anyone else take the cloak from you. It’ll put more power in your movement. You will be able to travel greater distances and scale greater heights with ease. I suggest you jump from cliff to cliff this way, then gradually make your way down to the kingdom below.”

Yet again, Aru proves to be on top of everything, which Kuroko is admittedly a bit envious of. “This is very useful. You’re quite the magician, Aru-san,” Kuroko gives a tiny smile.

“Thank you, child,” Aru begins to make his way over to the door. “Come, I’m sure you need to get going at once.”

Kuroko throws the shoulder bag over himself, following after Aru.

Aru pushes open the cabin door, the fresh, cold air blowing in a few stray snowflakes off the ground and into the home.

Kuroko steps out, realizing that he had no snow boots to wear. He refrains from letting displeasure show upon his face, as much as he hates the cold. He wouldn’t dare ask Aru, since the man has already done so much for him.

“If you lie low, I’m sure your destination will come sooner than you know it.”

That’s never a struggle with Kuroko, even if he appreciated how his basketball teammates were now more aware of his presence.

“But I warn you,” Aru’s voice and expression grew dark. Kuroko feels something in the air shift, making him uneasy.

“Many of the people in the kingdom are not to be trusted. There are many out there who want to hurt you, Kuroko-kun.”

Kuroko nods, hanging onto every word.

“Do not fret, child. I believe in you,” he switches back to his usual demeanor and beams, “I’m sure that your judgement won’t steer you wrong,” Aru reaches a hand up, gently ruffling Kuroko's hair.

Kuroko returns the smile, highly appreciative. “Thank you very much, Aru-san. I’m truly grateful for everything.”

“Of course, child. Now get going, your feline friend is waiting for you.”

Kuroko nods, resolute. He takes a step back, then bows down low. “Goodbye, Aru-san.”

The old man waves as Kuroko pulls up his hood, who then takes off across the snowfields.

Aru stands there and watches as Kuroko soars away, a forlorn look in his eye.

“Sure you’re fine with letting him go like that?”

Aru turns a deaf ear to the other, not willing to show his distress.

The sprite laughs; a nasty, grating sound. “He’ll get slaughtered out there.”

“No,” Aru’s voice is firm. “He won’t.”

* * *

Takao glides across the clear sky, enjoying the cold wind upon his face as he holds the cat in one arm.

Mayuzumi, on the other hand, is about to hurl at this rate. He can’t handle this fancy spinning that the winged boy enjoys. No way he’s letting Takao continue with this. “Takao put me the fuck down!”

The winged boy disregards the other, continuing to laugh without a care in the world.

Oh god. Mayuzumi could feel himself getting more nauseous by the second. Did he even have anything in his stomach to heave? Or is he just going to puke up stomach acid? Do cats have stomach acid like humans?

Takao does another loop-de-loop in the air, and Mayuzumi swears that if he weren’t incapacitated right now, he’d be clawing Takao’s face off.

Mayuzumi feels his stomach churn. He lets his claws latch onto the arm holding him against Takao’s chest.

Takao dips sharply in his flight, but continues to fly without trouble, “Hey wait, put your claws away—”

If he’s going down, he’ll take this bird brained idiot with him. Mayuzumi digs his claws farther into Takao’s flesh.

Takao lets out an ungodly screech, “I give, I give! Uncle!”

He lands upon the nearest cliff he can find, dropping to his knees as Mayuzumi jumps out of his hold and finds relief in the steady ground.

“Jeez, you’re such a killjoy,” Takao cradles his arm, inspecting to see if Mayuzumi had broken the skin. Thankfully, he hadn’t.

“I wouldn’t be if you were less annoying.”

“Well, we have to travel by air either way. I’m not walking all the way home!” he stands up.

Mayuzumi narrows his eyes and flattens his ears against his head. “You’re taking me to your house? I told you I needed to go back to a cabin.”

“You did?” Takao laughs, “Oh yeah, you did!” he pretends to remember, laughing more.

Mayuzumi glowers up at Takao. He’s a bad liar, that’s for sure. “So? Where is it?”

“Where’s what?”

There’s a pause while Mayuzumi tries to decide if Takao was more of an idiot than he had thought. “The cabin, dumbass.”

“Oh,” Takao eyes light up in recognition, mellowing out in the next second as he contemplates. “Err...don’t get me wrong. I’d love to take you to that cabin,” Takao shrugs, “I mean, I can and I totally would, but…” Takao trails off.

“What?” Mayuzumi demands.

“I wouldn’t go back there if I were you.”

“Well, I have to.”

“For what?”

“Ugh,” Mayuzumi’s patience is thinning. “It’s a responsibility I need to take care of. Just take me back there.”

Takao laughs nervously, “No can do,” he averts his eyes away from Mayuzumi’s accusatory ones.

“Why not?”

“No reason,” he says a bit too quickly. “Just don’t go back. Not necessary, nope.”

Takao might just be one of the worst liars that Mayuzumi has come across. After a moment of determining whether it’s worth it to press the issue further, Mayuzumi relents. “Whatever, forget I said that,” Mayuzumi sighs, and Takao visibly relaxes as well.

Mayuzumi tries a different approach. “You at least know Kuroko, right?”

“...Who?” Takao looks more lost than before.

Oh great. “Y’know, the phantom sixth man.”

Takao tilts his head, “What kind of name is that?”

Mayuzumi face-paws, losing his cool. No fucking way. Takao has to know who Kuroko is. Kuroko has surely mentioned Takao before.

“Look,” Takao raises his hands up in a placating gesture, “I can tell you’re tired, so whaddaya say that I just take you back to where I live?”

Mayuzumi remains dubious. “I need you to take me to that cabin.”

Takao ignores that request. “I’ll even fly normally,” Takao added.

Mayuzumi growls, inching away when Takao lowers his hand down to pat him on the head.

“Good kitty, nice kitty…”

Mayuzumi swipes his claw at the offending hand. Takao lifts it away before that happens, giving a small phew in relief.

Takao is behaving too suspiciously. Mayuzumi won’t accept Takao’s behavior without batting an eye, but he’s got no efficient method of transport without Takao.

He flattens his ears, weighing his options.

Takao takes this chance to grab Mayuzumi by the scruff of his neck.

“Wha--”

And with a beat of his wings, Takao takes off.

“Goddammit, let me go!”

“Just past a few more peaks, you little scaredy cat.”

Mayuzumi flails, clawing at Takao’s arm before giving up and growling once more.

* * *

It isn’t the easiest.

Jumping from one ledge to another that is.

Kuroko is glad that no one is around to watch him as he faceplants for the fourth time. He stands up with no effort, brushing off all the snow as he keeps moving.

He’s improving, at least. This may be the fourth failure out of five tries, but he didn’t win the Winter Cup by giving up.

His first try was to test the waters, since he hadn’t the slightest idea as to how much easier it was to maneuver with his cloak. It’s likely that he wouldn’t become a master, since there’s no time for practice, but he hopes for proficiency.

He discovered that he can pull off a running jump of about twenty feet into the air with little effort. The sheer height felt exhilarating, and yet terrifying as well. A powerful surge of adrenaline coursed through him at the peak of his flight, but the view from up above scared him out of his wits.

His first landing was not a pretty sight.

He lied on his back in the snow, heaving in pain as his heart drummed in his ears. His eyes were wide from thrill as he tried to regain his composure.

He won’t lie. Jumping that high was awesome, but that landing was horrendous. His knee could attest to that.

He scrambled to continue traveling, not letting the adrenaline in his system go to waste.

He might be getting the hang of it now. Sixth jump wasn’t all that good, but he nails his seventh landing.

That wobble doesn’t count.

After a few more attempts and failures, he stops to sit and rest on flat, stable land. He feels the cold pricking at his cheeks and hands, so he brings his hands to his face to recover lost heat.

Some gloves would have been useful, but Kuroko is more than happy with what he’s got, considering that he gets to experience a running speed on par with Aomine in the zone. He still has energy to spare—which never happens in reality—so he’s indulging in this opportunity. Traveling this quickly and leaping so high into the air, Kuroko couldn’t help but daydream (could he even call it that?) about shooting down a basketball court as this speed. All his talented friends wouldn’t hesitate to tell him how cool he is.

Hey, he can dream, can’t he?

It’s all thanks to Aru’s cloak. Now if only he could have more control in the strength of his jumps. Kuroko believes he now understands how it felt when Kagami jumped headfirst into that basketball hoop.

At least his cloak is enough against the chilly environment. It’s warm and fuzzy, like Nigou. Now that he thinks about it, he realizes he misses his dog. Luckily, Nigou is currently at Mitobe’s residence, being spoiled by all his siblings. He’s glad Nigou doesn’t happen to be with him, since it’s not his parents’ responsibility to take care of the dog.

And as much as he likes Mayuzumi as a cat, his woes couldn’t be cured by a grumpy feline from his imagination. Again, Kuroko wishes that Mayuzumi could be more affable.

Speaking about the cat, could Mayuzumi fit inside of Kuroko’s bag? Now that he’s thinking about it, he realizes that he hasn’t checked the bag that he’s been carrying.

He opens up the bag to examine the amount of space, expecting just enough empty space for Mayuzumi to lie comfortably in, but instead discovers something handy.

Oh.

Talk about serendipity.

There’s a pair of gloves and a few loaves of bread sealed in plastic wrap within the bag. Aru truly never fails to remember every detail.

He slips the leather gloves on, enjoying the soft fabric inside as he stands up.

He takes the map out of his pants pocket and unfolds it to inspect it.

Aru’s house is done. Next is another mountain peak, which has a ring of clouds surrounding it.

Could Mayuzumi possibly be there?

Kuroko peers around, admiring the scenery as he checks each peak for a match.

He spots the peak he’s searching for, which appears quite far off from where is currently standing.

He doesn’t know if it will work, but maybe…

If he channels all of his focus into tracking Mayuzumi down, he might be able to find the other. However, he might also mislead himself somewhere off over the rainbow, which will cost him valuable time. Neither of which sounds like the best course of action.

Kuroko absentmindedly kicks some snow off the cliff as he stews this over.

No, he shakes his head. He must do this. Kuroko pockets the map.

He closes his eyes and searches, picking up any sense of Mayuzumi’s presence.

After a spending a good few minutes, he believes he has pinpointed something familiar. It’s highly questionable, but Kuroko has no other leads.

Time to get going. Mayuzumi has never been the patient one, after all.

Kuroko clenches his fists, places a foot back behind him, and then leaps off the edge of the cliff to another one down below.

* * *

“We’re here!” Takao kicks the door open to his house, trailing the snow on his shoes inside. He doesn’t seem to mind, since he has no welcome mat to wipe his shoes upon. He drops Mayuzumi down to the ground.

Never mind that he has no mat, his floor and ceiling is just the unpaved surface of the earth. The occasional rock or two peaks out, as well as a few insects that crawl across the walls.

Mayuzumi certainly didn’t think Takao’s house would be a mansion, but he also didn’t expect this.

The house is tidy, there’s nice furniture, and plenty of light that filters in from the windows, but…

Takao’s house is undoubtedly a cave.

Mayuzumi hates his house already.

He scoots back against the door to avoid a cockroach that crawls towards him. Oh God get that grody thing away from him.

Takao flutters (curse his ability to fly) off  to another room “You hungry?”

Mayuzumi sniffs in distaste at the environment around him. He follows after Takao to the room he’s in, which he assumes is the kitchen. “No.”

“Shame, thought that you could join me for some grub, cause y’know…”

Mayuzumi stares at Takao as he opens his fridge (how did he get the electricity to run it?), letting him continue.

Takao looks down at the cat. “You’ll be staying here.”

Mayuzumi is dumbfounded. Did Takao just ignore everything that he had mentioned earlier? He scowls. Takao in his dreams is no more useful than an airplane. Hell, even a plane would be more useful. Whether he could fly a plane is another issue. “No I’m not. Haven’t you been listening?”

“Well, yeah,” Takao shrugs, then reaches into his fridge to grab something. “You want milk?”

“Don’t fucking change the subject. And I don’t like milk anyway.”

“Eh? I thought all cats liked milk.”

“Get me back to that cabin.”

“No, no. You’ve gotta eat something,” Takao closes his fridge.

“Takao,” Mayuzumi warns, crouching lower into a defensive position.

“Hey, don’t be so upset. Here, if you stay and eat, and maybe let me pet you a little—“

Mayuzumi hisses, revealing his fangs.

“All right, no petting. Got it,” Takao reaches up to his cabinets and pulls out a can of tuna. “Want this?” he shakes it a little to see if he’s stolen Mayuzumi’s interest.

Mayuzumi’s stance loosens. “You’ll take me to the cabin as long as I stay for now?”

“Yeah,” Takao squats down, “I’m a bit tired from flying, so could we rest?” he smiles and reaches for Mayuzumi, but the other backs away. “Where is the knife that I had you hold for me?”

“You can have it after we eat.”

“Fine. Give me the tuna.”

Takao’s smile turns into a frown. “I’ll only give you the tuna if you let me hold you.”

Mayuzumi’s back arches as the fur upon it stands on end. Letting Takao touch him? He almost wants to laugh. Kuroko isn’t even fit to touch his magnificent fur.

Okay, that one time is an exception. Still doesn’t change the fact that Takao isn’t allowed to.

Takao holds the tuna can in front of him, enticing him. “You want it?”

No. Mayuzumi will not give in. He bares his teeth at the can.

“Waaant it?” he teases.

No. It’s not even quality tuna.

“You know you waaaant it,” Takao’s eyes crinkle in a teasing grin.

No. No. No, no, no, _no_ —

Before Mayuzumi can rattle off another no in his head, he finds himself now sitting in Takao’s lap, eating a plateful of tuna. Takao sits upon his couch, eyes glued to the television that is playing some game show while eating a baked yam.  One of Takao’s hands is scratching him behind his ear, subduing him.

God. Damn it.

He’s a weak man. Weak for canned tuna that he would refuse to eat if he weren’t a cat.

Mayuzumi wants to scream. He holds back from doing so only because he’s got dignity to uphold.  If he didn’t, he’s sure that his suffering would leak out in the form of a strangled yowl.

Thank God that Kuroko is nowhere nearby. If the other sees Mayuzumi like this, Mayuzumi wouldn’t think twice about clawing the other’s eyes out.

Then again, if Kuroko’s around, then he’d be able to get him out of Takao’s grasp, and feed him better tuna while he’s at it.

It isn’t unrealistic. Kuroko should be more than capable of catching a tuna in a dream. Or maybe Mayuzumi is putting more faith in Kuroko than is befitting.

As Takao continues to pet him on his head and back, Mayuzumi finishes off the last of the tuna on the plate.

He’s so comfortable that he doesn't resist the feeling of sleep pulling at his eyelids. As much as he doesn’t want to take a catnap, he didn’t sleep well last night. Takao had carried him throughout the night, stopping once in awhile in random caves to rest and catch a few z’s for himself.

With the feeling of gentle scratches on his ear, he lets slumber claim him.

* * *

Here.

Kuroko is just about certain that Mayuzumi is in this house built into the side of the mountain. He can feel a strong, familiar presence from inside. He stares at the door, noting the peculiar lack of a door handle to it. Does this person not need a lock on his house?

His believes that his instincts were right. This house lies upon the mountain with a ring of clouds surrounding it, which took him a few hours to arrive to. He probably would’ve been able to reach this peak faster, but even with the cloak, Kuroko doesn’t think he has the capacity to jump a canyon that is over hundreds of feet wide. He releases a short sigh of relief.

What kind of person lived at this home? Kuroko hopes that they’re nice, at least. If they aren’t…

Well, if it boils down to that, then Kuroko could probably handle a fight or two, as long as he has this cloak.

He pulls his hood down, then knocks.

It's not a long wait, but when the person from within opens the door, the last person he expects to see is Takao.

Kuroko stares. He almost crosses the line of being rude, but the other forces him out of his shock with a greeting.

“Hi! I don’t think I’ve seen you around. Is there anything you need?”

Kuroko feels like Takao had just thrown a snowball straight into his face. He’s startled to see the other, caught off guard by how Takao speaks like they’re unacquainted, and honestly, a bit offended. Regardless, Kuroko introduces himself.

“Hello. I’m Kuroko Tetsuya. Nice to meet you.” he bows.

“Oh,” Takao bows as well. “Likewise. I’m Takao.”

“I am wondering about a lost pet of mine. He’s a grey cat, have you seen him?”

Takao places his hand upon his chin, racking his head for an answer. “Hmm, no, don’t think I have. Sorry!”

That’s strange. Is the familiar presence actually Takao’s presence? Kuroko has difficulty believing that, for why in the world would he seek out Takao’s presence?

“Is that all?”

Kuroko would ask to enter the other’s home, but he doesn’t believe he has a good enough excuse to.

He studies Takao’s eyes, detecting any traces of a lie. Kuroko should have no qualms about the other’s answer, but something...doesn’t feel right. Albeit, he can't distinguish if Takao is lying or not.

Oh well. “Yes. That is all. Thank you very much,” Kuroko pulls his hood back on.

“Anytime. See ya later!” Takao waves.

And then Kuroko turns away as the door shuts.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy. I think that was enough suffering. For now, at least.  
> Yet another cliffhanger lol.  
> Thanks for reading guys!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let us begin the nightmare.  
> Warning: Blood and definitely OOC Takao.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with him,” a female voice frets in the hush of a bedroom. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Her delicate hand reaches down to push back blue bangs, placing her palm upon the boy’s forehead.

The boy lies in his bed, eyes remaining unopened.

“He doesn’t have a fever.”

A man gives a worried sigh, sitting down next to his wife upon the bed. “Let’s take him to the doctor.”

* * *

The sound of a familiar voice rouses Mayuzumi from his slumber, making him force his tired eyes open.

He lifts his head up from his curled up sleeping position, noting that he’s still on the couch that he fell asleep upon.

He catches Takao closing the front door, who then turns around and spots him. “Oh, the sleepyhead’s awake.”

Mayuzumi yawns and hops down from the couch with caution. Not many bugs are scuttering around, but his steps remain wary.

He stretches his body before asking,“Hey, who was that just now?”

Takao smiles, “Not anyone important,” he shrugs.

Mayuzumi flicks his tail impatiently. “Who was at the door?” he repeats.

“Like I said, no one in particular.”

“Bullshit,” Mayuzumi snorts. “You’re hiding something,” he then trots over to the door himself, pawing at it. “Let me see for myself.”

“What? No, no, there’s no need to. Come on,” Takao bends down to pick Mayuzumi up, only for the other to escape through his legs.

“Just open the door. You’re a horrible liar anyway.”

Takao remains obstinate. He steels his expression, almost as if he’s a parent about to scold a misbehaving child. “Hey, listen to what I’m saying! You may be my guest, but house rules are house rules! Besides, you’re staying for awhile.”

This cycle just never ends, does it? Mayuzumi finds himself pulling more _what-in-the-fuck_ faces than usual _._ “I never agreed to staying here.”

“But you took a nap with no problem.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m staying here.”

“Aw, you sourpuss. Not even for another day?”

What the hell is it with Takao trying to get Mayuzumi to stay with him? Seems like not only is Takao an idiot in Mayuzumi’s dreams, but a creep as well.

“Open the door,” Mayuzumi demands.

“Don’t make me send you to your room,” Takao chides.

Mayuzumi’s ears droop and he hangs his head in exasperation. Great, the moron isn’t even taking him seriously now.

Well, _two can play at that game._

“Fine,” Mayuzumi looks up, making sure that his face is stoic, “Then could you open another can of tuna for me?”

Takao’s eyes light up, appeased that the other is willing to stay. “No problem!” and with a hop, he flies into the other room.

That was easy.

Once Takao’s out of sight, Mayuzumi turns to stare back up at the door, deciding his escape plan.

His options now were to either stay here for God knows how long and be pet by a creep, or to find a way to get this door open while the other is preoccupied.

He pushes with one paw at the door, making it budge.

He checks over his shoulder one last time, then sits upon his hind legs to use both his front paws to push all his weight onto the door, opening it.

Could have been a bit quieter, but it’s too late for that.

_Good-fucking-riddance._

He shoots out the door and tears through the snow, not even bothering to close the door behind him. He doesn’t fail to notice that there’s fresh looking footprints in the snow, so he decides to follow those.

Maybe if he’s lucky enough, Takao won’t bother to chase him.

Right as he thinks that, some long stick lands right in front of him, dodging it by just a whisker.

He freezes in fright.

_Holy fuck_ , is that an arrow?

Mayuzumi represses a startled shiver, and darts away before any other arrows catch him. The rapid flutter of wings informs him that he has no need to look behind himself, as even more arrows rain down and narrowly miss him.

Still, he can’t help but spare a fleeting glance up and behind, which he immediately regrets, then whips his head away and bolts through the snow with more haste.

He met gazes with Takao for just for a mere second, but…

Those are not the eyes of the Takao he knew. Those eyes scare the hell out of him too much to be even considered humane.

Those eyes are more numbing, more cutthroat, more _unfeeling_ than Mayuzumi recalls ever seeing on a person. Takao looks like he wants to skewer Mayuzumi through with his arrows. If it wasn’t clear to him before, it’s clear now.

That is not Takao.

He’s more than sure that Takao isn’t a murderous psychopath.

He continues to zig-zag through the barrage of arrows, feeling like a goddamn anime protagonist with how he’s escaped injury thus far.

A rather wide gap obstructs Mayuzumi’s escape, making him hesitate. Cats could jump further than the average human, right?

It’s jump and land, or get impaled.

_Fuck it._

Gathering all the possible strength he can into his tiny hind legs, he launches himself across the gap, squeezing his eyes shut to hide his view of the drop down below.

Maybe he didn’t need to be so scared, maybe the drop is only like, ten or so feet. He peels one eye open—

Nope, can’t see the end to that.

And in the next second, he nearly crash lands onto the other side, safe from the drop. He clambers up with no delay, the beat of Takao’s wings a constant reminder of danger.

He runs in a curve along a cliffside, nearly pressing himself against the cliff in fear of falling from the narrowing pathway.

He doesn’t see the figure that he runs smack into, panicking as he’s pulled into his captor’s arms. “Let go!”

“Calm down, Mayuzumi-san.”

“Who—Kuro—”

He gawks up at the other before he is shoved inside Kuroko’s bag, who then continues to sprint away. “How’d you find me?”

“I’m not quite sure myself,” Kuroko deflects a stream of arrows with a wave of his arm. “Takao-kun...doesn’t seem like his usual self,” Kuroko deadpans.

Mayuzumi almost laughs at Kuroko’s understatement, as if Kuroko didn’t mind being chased with arrows raining down behind him.

“About fucking time you came,” Mayuzumi grumbles instead.

“I’m sorry,” Kuroko says through a gasp of breath, “Were you scared?”

“Yeah, in fact,” Mayuzumi’s voice drenched in sarcasm, “absolutely shitting myself.”

He misses the way Kuroko’s eyebrows disappear into his bangs, once again questioning Mayuzumi’s sense of humor.

“I’m surprised you haven’t already collapsed from running. You reached this place on foot, right?”

“I’ll explain that later. For now...I would appreciate it if you didn’t distract me.”

Right. Bird psycho is chasing them.

That didn’t seem to faze Kuroko much, however. Although his expression shows some urgency, Kuroko is definitely not panicking like Mayuzumi was.

Stupid cat body, making him so incompetent.

Kuroko leaps in small bounds to higher ground, shaking the bag and making Mayuzumi tumble around inside.

Mayuzumi once again feels the need to retch. This is beginning to remind him a lot of Takao’s earlier flying. “God, brat, could you ease up on the jumps?”

Kuroko doesn’t hear him. “Hang on tight.”

Mayuzumi pops his head out of the bag, “Wha—”

Kuroko speeds up as approaches a large cliff, and—to Mayuzumi’s horror—catapults himself over the huge cliff edge.

Mayuzumi’s train of thought comes to a screeching halt as terror overtakes him.

_Dear lord._

Is he screaming? He’s probably screaming.

Kuroko lands with a surprising amount of finesse, grabbing ahold of the bag to protect Mayuzumi from slamming to the ground, and somersaulting to lessen his impact.

Mayuzumi groans, sick and tired of all this shaky movement. This is even worse than when Takao was flying around doing tricks in the air.

“Hang in there, Mayuzu--” Kuroko lifts himself back up, only to find himself anchored down by his cloak.

He checks behind him, seeing that an arrow had pierced his cloak, now holding him in place.

“The hell? Why aren’t you running?”

Kuroko focuses his attention above him, seeing that Takao has more arrows poised with his bow drawn, ready to deliver the finishing blow.

With another wave of his hand, he aims all the snow he can towards Takao, hoping that that will keep him preoccupied. He quickly removes the arrow before rolling out of the way of more arrows firing down upon him.

“You’re getting nowhere with this,” Mayuzumi says as Kuroko struggles to maintain his same running pace. “You need to fight back already, dammit!”

“I will not fight Takao-kun.”

“That doesn’t matter! There’s no way you can keep this up!” Mayuzumi’s voice rises further.

Kuroko is panting by the time he launches himself across another ledge. “I know I’m capable of escaping.”

Mayuzumi groans in frustration. “Now’s not the time to be a stubborn little brat!”

“Look, Mayuzumi-san,” Kuroko points forward.

Mayuzumi switches his view to the scene up ahead, which appears to be a thick, green forest below the tall ledge they are upon.

“Just a little further, and we can lose Takao-kun in the forest,” Kuroko readies himself to jump down the cliffside.

“Don’t give me that, you’re going to get hit at this rate!”

And as if Mayuzumi’s words had just jinxed Kuroko, pain shoots through Kuroko’s backside, realizing that an arrow had pierced his right shoulder.

A grunt of pain escapes Kuroko, who loses strength in his jump.

Kuroko’s face twists in strain, and Mayuzumi watches in startled terror as Kuroko loses his footing and slips off the cliff edge.

Mayuzumi’s breath stops.

Through the pain, Kuroko remembers to pull the bag towards his chest, wrapping his body around it, and bracing for impact. He refuses to let Mayuzumi get hurt, because he can’t be sure if just one wrong move will be enough to kill the other.

The drop isn’t smooth, many sharp branches and rocks jut out of the cliffside, attacking him as he begins tumbling downward. All the while, he feels the arrow dig into his backside, causing excruciating pain.

He doesn’t believe it’s smart to take the arrow out, but he believes that it’s even less smart to leave it in. Gathering all his willpower, Kuroko reaches behind him and yanks the arrow out and throws it carelessly away, feeling blood gush out of the fresh wound.

He grows lightheaded and weary, his body flushing out all his senses as he continues rolling down.

He won’t. He will not let his mistake burden Mayuzumi, who had warned him.

He grips the bag tighter, trying to resist blacking out before he reaches the bottom.

Try as he may, it’s not long before darkness closes in on him.

* * *

After Kuroko rolls to a stop, Mayuzumi shuffles carefully around inside the bag, not having sustained any injuries on his way down, thanks to Kuroko.

Kuroko.

_Oh God._

He pokes his head out to inspect the damage.

“...Hey, Kuroko,” Mayuzumi murmurs.

He cringes. Kuroko lies on his stomach, avoiding pressure upon his injury. His breath is more shallow than when he was bedridden with hypothermia, almost nonexistent. Even if he wants to, Mayuzumi couldn’t overlook the huge patch of red that has soaked through the fabric of the white cloak. The red is gaping and almost garish, alarmingly out of place against the stark white.

Mayuzumi blinks, his breath coming short. Some foreign numbing sensation spreads all throughout him, except for a sharp throbbing in his chest.

A minimal amount of light shines down through the cracks of the trees, shining white light upon Kuroko (and that _gaping red_ ), while drowning out all other objects in the forest in darkness.

The way Kuroko lies there, unmoving—

Mayuzumi swallows to clear that wretched lump in his throat.

_It’s almost as if he has been killed._

It’s unsettling, to say the least.

He nudges the other’s cheek with his paw, trying to put more energy into his voice. “Wake up, brat.”

He fails miserably.

His ears droop and his neck bends down, remembering just how weak and vulnerable he is. He has to rely on Kuroko to save him now. He can’t even help Kuroko when they’re in danger. He couldn’t do anything to protect the other like Kuroko had protected him.

With broken movements, he drops down to lie next to Kuroko’s face.

_God._

He places his paw over his eyes, suddenly feeling like the mere sight of Kuroko is enough to make him ill. He doesn’t even think cursing could even help him relieve him of stress at this point. These dreams have been nothing short of hellish, and the only thought that comes to mind is how…

He peaks out from behind his paw, staring hard at that red.

...How fucked up these dreams are.

_So goddamn fucked up._

What kind of nightmare has spawned from their encounters? Mayuzumi will focus his attention on anything else than Kuroko at this point. He glances around the dark forest that they had landed in, searching the leaves for an answer because he has nowhere else to begin.

He doesn’t want to look at that _red_ again.

“Kuroko…” he calls, knowing full well that the other won’t respond.

He tells himself it’s not real. He’s certain this isn’t reality.

But if this weren’t—in some way— _real…_

Then he shouldn’t be feeling this much grief.

He tells himself he should apologize. Apologize for being a hindrance and being so powerless to the brat that gave him a headache every day as of late.

He’s guilty, but he can’t bring himself to apologize even when there’s no one to hear it.

He sucks in a shaky breath.

Nevermind apologize, he can’t bring himself to thank the other either.

He’s not dead. He’s not dead.  _He’s not dead_. Mayuzumi repeats that over in his head to reassure himself.

He breathes out.

Mayuzumi inches closer, gently pressing his nose against Kuroko’s cheek.

Quivers rack his system without his permission. What an awful outcome. When was the last time he’s been this afflicted with remorse? Mayuzumi’s memory fails him, too caught up in his dread.

He nuzzles Kuroko, hoping that by some miracle, the other will open his eyes. Kuroko will brush it all off as an elaborate ruse and stand up with his same blank expression, maybe tease Mayuzumi from getting so worked up, and they’ll continue on their journey.

But Kuroko doesn’t stand up, doesn’t pull Mayuzumi into his arms, and doesn’t put Mayuzumi’s mind at ease.

Kuroko doesn’t even twitch.

Mayuzumi lets himself stay beside Kuroko a bit longer.

* * *

Mayuzumi doesn’t know how long has he lied there, having spent a few moments dozing beside Kuroko.

He’s exhausted and wants nothing more than to wake up from this nightmare, but Mayuzumi knows that he needs to go in search of help.

He can’t heal Kuroko’s wound himself, but he’ll be damned if he doesn’t find someone who can.

Surveying the dark area, he sees that they’ve landed in the thick forest, with tiny amounts of light shining through the massive trees. All of the forest’s leaves and foliage are colored a deep shade of green, as if it were summer, and as if they hadn’t just fallen from an icy mountain.

Based upon the old man’s words, there’s a high likelihood that the kingdom is nearby. Mayuzumi supposes that if he travels long enough, he’ll reach the other side of the forest, which also means he might meet others who can help.

But he couldn’t leave Kuroko lying unconscious all alone. That would mean almost certain death.

Mayuzumi curses his cat body for the umpteenth time.

If he chooses to stay here and wait, they’ll lose precious time in the dream and Kuroko might fail to wake up.

The best choice is to go seek help, as much as he knows that isn’t much better than his other choice. He can only hope that Kuroko won’t be picked up by someone else.

...

He refuses to think that the other won’t survive.

He takes one last glance at Kuroko, then dashes away through the forest.

* * *

Just under half an hour later, Mayuzumi stops to rest behind a shrub. After traveling for a bit, he’s thankful that this forest doesn’t appear to have much danger within it. He hasn’t encountered anything worth noting besides the occasional small bird or squirrel rustling the tree leaves.

He’s about to stand up and continue his way to the kingdom, before someone’s voice cuts into the silence of the forest.

“Mama!”

Mayuzumi pauses behind the shrub, careful to not make a sound. Is that a child’s voice? He peers through the shrub, but doesn’t see any movement.

“What is it?” comes a feminine voice, presumably the mother.

Mayuzumi hears hurried footsteps crunching through the leaves, drawing close before stopping. “I think I saw something move!”

Another set of slower, more even paced steps follow. “Careful. You don’t want to scare the poor creature.”

Mayuzumi spots them when he peeks his head over his hiding spot. The mother is wearing some European medieval style dress, carrying a basket filled with what looks like herbs. She seems nice enough, and maybe if she’s a medic, she could help Kuroko.

The kid looks no older than five, who has her fingers placed in her mouth, staring questioningly towards Mayuzumi.

Her eyes then light up upon catching sight of Mayuzumi, pointing at him and flouncing in place, “Kitty!”

Well, his cover is blown now. He hops over the shrub, but doesn’t make a move to come any closer.

The mother’s eyes follow her daughter’s finger and settle upon Mayuzumi. “You’re right,” she places her hands upon her daughter’s shoulders. “Do you want to go pet it?”

Mayuzumi certainly does not want to be pet by a kid who has shoved her hand into her mouth, but if it will get the mother to like him better, he guesses he’ll have to bear it.

He approaches them silently, assuming that the woman and the child don’t expect him to be capable of human speech.

He meows, and sits down close to the child.

The child drops to her knees in the grass, delighted that Mayuzumi is compliant. She reaches a hand towards him, then jerks her hand back before making contact. “Oops,” she mumbles, wiping her hand upon her dress. “Sorry, kitty.”

At least the kid has the decency to make an effort at cleaning her hand. He tries not to grimace as she places her little hand atop his head, smoothing his fur out. She beams, flashing her baby teeth.

The mother smiles as she squats down and smooths out her dress, glad that her daughter is enjoying herself. After a moment, she notices something.

“Hm?”

“What is it, mama?”

“It doesn’t have a collar, but it’s coat is too shiny to be a stray cat in this forest.”

“Why?” the child begins scratching behind Mayuzumi’s ear.

“Well, there’s not enough food here for this cat to survive here. There’s no meat for it to eat.”

Her daughter makes an ‘o’ shape with her mouth, understanding. “Then does that mean we can keep it?” she looks excitedly up at her mother, and Mayuzumi hopes that the mother won’t comply with her daughter.

“I’m sorry. I’m afraid not. Our home is just too small for it. Besides, since he’s so comfortable with humans, it seems like he already has an owner.”

_Oh thank God._

The child withers, utterly crestfallen. “Awww,” she whines, pulling her hand back. “But where is its owner?”

“That...I do not…” the mother trails off, watching as Mayuzumi points a paw back into the deeper end of the forest. Realization flickers in her eyes, which is the cue for Mayuzumi to turn his heel and run back from where he came.

The child takes off after him, laughing. Her mother panics, snatching her basket up to chase after her. “Wait!”

Mayuzumi has no time to spare for the mother. Kuroko needs medical attention, pronto. He’s glad that the kid is chasing him, since the mother will obviously follow after.

If only the kid could control her excitement better, then they probably would’ve been able to reach Kuroko sooner.

While attempting to lead them to Kuroko, the kid trapped him a few times in her arms, thinking that Mayuzumi was playing tag. He struggled out of her grasp, mindful of his claws.

Through the thicket, Mayuzumi eventually located Kuroko when he knew that they were nearby. He heaved a sigh of relief, thankful that no one had disturbed Kuroko.

Upon their arrival to the spot where Kuroko lied, Mayuzumi rushes to Kuroko’s side, hearing a shocked gasp come from behind him.

Once again, he averts his eyes away from that stretch of red upon white, but he doesn’t miss the fact that the blood has soaked the cloak more, the stain wider than before.

He turns his back upon Kuroko, focusing his attention on the duo that accompanied him.

The mother has the child pulled against herself, using one hand to shield her daughter’s eyes from the sight. Her other hand reaches up to cover her mouth, eyes horrified.

Mayuzumi forces himself to wait as the mother gathers her bearings.

Her child speaks first. “Mama, what is it? Why is there someone sleeping on the ground?”

“Shh...my dear,” the mother holds her childs in her arms so that her daughter can’t see Kuroko. “He’s sleeping because...he’s incredibly tired.”

Well, that isn’t too far from the truth.

The mother inches closer, step by careful step. It’s like she’s afraid that if she steps wrong, she’ll end up cutting off Kuroko’s life then and there. “Stay behind me,” she directs.

The daughter obeys, clinging to her mother’s dress.

The mother kneels down to further observe the wound. She appears to not want to pull back the cloak in order to assess the damage, given that she casts sidelong glances towards her child, who is peeking over her shoulder.

“That’s a lot of blood, mama. Is he going to be okay?”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” her mother smiles, but the worry lingers in her eyes.

The mother shifts her attention to Mayuzumi, who is keeping a close eye on her to make sure she won’t try anything funny. If her expression is anything to go by, she wants to ask him how Kuroko ended up this way.

Too bad he’s pretending he can’t answer that.

She gathers Kuroko up in her arms, cautious as to not disturb his injury. She hoists him up, piggyback carrying him.

“He’s...so light,” which makes the mother grow even more concerned.

Kuroko is light? Mayuzumi doesn’t know whether she’s saying that because he’s already lost plenty of blood, or if it’s because Kuroko has always been so small.

He hopes it’s the latter.

“Are we taking him back?” the child’s excitement builds up again, gasping as she realizes something. “Does that mean kitty will stay with us longer?”

Her mother nods, smiling in order to hide the serious situation. “Let’s head back and go see the town’s doctor.”

Mayuzumi trails after them, thankful of his luck this time around.

* * *

“Dai-chan!” Momoi bangs upon the closed front door, voice frantic. “Open up, Dai-chan!”

Despite the disgruntled and tired look Aomine shoots at Momoi when he pulls the door open, he successfully keeps his cool as he asks (and doesn’t demand), “What the hell do you want, Satsu—”

“It’s Tetsu-kun!” Momoi is near tears as she flies into Aomine’s arms.

Now, Aomine has never been the type to accept physical affection much, especially from his childhood friend, but those thoughts are shoved aside because if Momoi’s distraught, then...

“Wait—slow down. What’s going on?” he places his hands upon her shoulders, feeling them tremble.

“Tetsu-kun…” Momoi sniffles, “Tetsu-kun is in a coma…!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The angst is only beginning. Join me in this downward spiral to hell. (ʘ‿ʘ✿)  
> Happy New Year, and thanks for reading. :>


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It only gets darker from here.

By the time they reach the town, it’s already nightfall. A stone arch greets them overhead with the town’s name ‘Piatou’ engraved within the stone. Sconces line the buildings in the unevenly paved streets, lighting their pathway into the peaceful town. There’s not a single trace of snow, and the air in the town is more akin to a cool summer night.

As Mayuzumi had expected, the town’s layout is similar to many popular MMORPG’s designs, with Tudor and Romanesque styled architecture. The stone structures are worn and cracked, and the paved streets are in no better condition. In the far distance, he can see the imposing castle that watches over the town.

It’s not all too surprising that his head created a place like this, considering that he’s tried a few of these types of games. Plus, he's already seen magic from that old man in the mountains. Most, if not all RPGs, had magic and spell-casting systems in a world of kingdoms. If this is the case, it’s likely he’ll run into more magic users soon.

Thankfully, the mother has the strength to carry Kuroko for the two hours that it took to arrive. Also thankfully, there’s not too many people still out in the streets at this hour, save for a few drunkards that stumble around blindly in the narrower pathways. He wants her to pick up the pace, but figures that she's already doing her best.

The daughter rubs at her eyes, exhausted from having spent her energy carrying Mayuzumi and cooing at him. It was no easy task, but he remained docile (he only growled in displeasure when he was pet) the whole time traveling back.

Being named ‘Grumpy‘ was not something he willingly agreed to.

The mother navigates through the winding streets into the town square, before veering off into a more secluded area that he hadn’t noticed. _Fishy_ , he thinks.

She leads him down into a dead end, and if it weren’t for the small staircase that lead up to a door and a window against the wall of the alleyway, he would’ve attacked her right then and there. Still, he’s on his guard. This dead end already seems suspicious enough. Is she taking him to a doctor or a drug dealer?

She tells her child to wait at the bottom of the staircase, which are just a measly three steps up to the door. The mother looks nervous, but Mayuzumi can’t decipher whether it’s because Kuroko needs immediate medical attention or because she doesn't want to be here. He surmises that it’s the latter, because the only thought that comes to mind when he thinks about alleyways is shady, especially if it’s a doctor.

Mayuzumi trails after her as she climbs the steps, then she knocks upon the metal door.

The few seconds of wait only add to his doubt and impatience, but all that gets put on the back burner once the door opens.

Whoa.

The first thing the cat notices, due to his tiny height, are the red stilettos that stop next to him. He looks up, becoming speechless.

A pale woman with ruby red lips greets the mother, looking a bit disgruntled.

He blinks, taken aback. What the hell.

This woman’s clothing style is so out of place in this medieval kingdom, it might’ve even shocked him into waking up, and not because she looked unattractive—quite the contrary.

Her fashion style is much more modern, reminding him somewhat of that crime anime set in America. Baccano, was it? Her black hair falls to curve around the left side of her face, long and curling at the tips. A dark bejeweled dress runs down past her knees, hugging her figure well. A long faux fur shawl drapes around her neck and shoulders, covering what seem to be her dress’ Grecian neckline. In her black gloved hand, she balances a cigarette holder between her index and middle finger, and her other hand acts as an elbow rest. To top it all off, her makeup has an allure that just screams confidence and style.

Nevermind if she’s the doctor or not, she is _gorgeous_. Hot damn.

His eyes are glued upon the woman, who hasn’t noticed him. She gives a smile that looks like a smirk towards the mother, and says something that he fails to hear, too caught up in his staring.

“He’ll be in good hands,” she sets her cigarette holder down and peels off her long gloves.

“Thank you,” the mother gives a grateful smile and hands Kuroko to the woman. “And this is his cat, so he’ll be staying here as well,” she motions down towards Mayuzumi.

He freezes under her gaze, her steel colored eyes giving him a once over before turning back to the mother. “Fine by me.”

“I’ll be taking my leave, then.”

From what he can tell, the woman wasn’t all too interested in a cat like him.

Eh, whatever. It’s her loss.

“Bye bye, Grumpy!” the child calls after him, voice heartbroken as she’s lifted up by her mother and carried away.

He spares her one last glance before he strolls into the room.

And the strong smell of smoke hits him, making him hack.

Holy shit, he’s going to cough up a lung at this rate.

He manages to follow after her, watching as she walks through her everyday looking living room to an open door in the back, which looks like any old high school’s clinic—maybe a bit more professional. At least back here, the smell of smoke is less potent.

She switches the room light on, and then sets Kuroko down upon a bed with absorbent sheets covering it. She pulls off Kuroko’s gloves and unfastens the clasp of his cloak, and then strips his shirt and gakuran off.

His breathing is labored, and his skin appears paler than normal. Rolling him over, she gives an impressed whistle.

“Now that’s a nasty ‘mount of blood,” she takes off her shawl before she ties her hair back. “Now, tell me lil’ kitty, what happened here?”

Mayuzumi stiffens. No way she knows that he’s capable of human speech. He keeps his expression aloof, pretending that he doesn’t understand her.

“’M not stupid,” she pulls her lips taut, glowering. “Now tell me before I lose ‘nterest in fixin’ him up,” she fixes her discontented expression on him like she believes she can push Mayuzumi into surrendering to her.

Like hell he will.

Either this woman has intuition just like that old man, or she automatically knew he could speak because he's dreaming. Although, that doesn’t explain why the mother and her daughter didn’t seem to know.

Just because he thinks she’s pretty doesn’t mean he’ll do as she says. Regardless of her beauty, he doesn’t like that knowing look in her eye and impatient attitude. And even if he did happen to like her—which never happens—he’d still refuse to speak due to his nature.

“Whatever,” she huffs after she receives no answer. “I’ll return ‘n a minute,” then she disappears back into the living room.

He takes this chance to hop up onto the bed so that he can examine Kuroko’s wound. He steels himself before he does so, but even then, he finds himself looking away only after a peek.

_Fuck, that’s a lot of blood._

Splotches of blood lie around the area of the wound, drenching a majority of Kuroko’s backside. Admittedly, this scares Mayuzumi. The wound looks awful, and it’s clear that Kuroko ripped that arrow out with more force than necessary.

He blanches, deciding that he doesn’t want to look at that all that red anymore. He jumps off the bed.

The woman returns, dressed in scrubs and a surgical mask. In one arm, she’s carrying a pail filled with water. Snapping her rubber gloves on, she pushes a rolling cart with all her surgical instruments over to the edge of the bed, and then pulls a bunch of different machines that Mayuzumi can’t name over to the bedside as well.

She sets the pail down and takes a rag out, wringing it dry and applying it to Kuroko’s backside to clean him up. After that, she drops the rag back into the pail, switches on the operating lights hovering over Kuroko, and hooks him up to all those wires connected to those machines.

At least she’s efficient and good at her job, which relieves Mayuzumi.

She’s about to reach for a tool upon her cart, but stops and heaves a sigh, seeming to have forgotten something.

“Tai, get the antiseptic for me,” she directs, holding out her hand.

Mayuzumi glances around, seeing no one. Some assistant that he hadn’t seen?

Then, in swoops something black, agile as it travels over to the doctor and drops the bottle in her hand. It then perches upon her shoulder, peering down at Kuroko.

“Thanks,” she pinches a cotton ball in between a pair of forceps, then screws open the bottle with one hand, shaking it as she presses the cotton to the lip.

Mayuzumi gawks. Not at what the woman is doing, but at the creature sitting on her shoulder. It’s no bigger than he is, so he shouldn’t be this fascinated, but that is, without a doubt, a _dragon._

As if it felt Mayuzumi’s eyes staring, it turns its head to study the cat as well.

The dragon has beady golden eyes, slit pupil dilating as it blinks in curiosity at him.

He stares back.

It flaps its wings, and he flicks his tail.

“So ya gonna share what happened to him, or are ya gonna let me perform surgery on the kid like ’m blind?” the doctor breaks Mayuzumi out of his trance.

It takes a few moments to process what she had said.

“A stab in the dark it is, then,” she decides after no immediate answer.

“He got shot by an arrow,” he admits, not wanting for her to treat Kuroko inadequately.

“ _Finally_ got ya to speak,” she rolls her eyes, “‘nd here I thought cat got your tongue,” she quips while cleaning Kuroko’s wound, then throws the bloody cotton ball into a plastic bin labeled ‘biohazard.’

He directs an unimpressed glare towards her, but her eyes are aimed only at the surgery at hand.

“Looks like he’s got a few head injuries too, care to explain that?”

“…He fell down a cliff.”

“’Mpressive that he survived,” she takes another cotton ball, applying it to the injury. “I can tell ya care a lot ‘bout him,” she says, but she doesn’t seem all that interested.

It takes a moment for Mayuzumi to reply, given that he hadn’t really thought about such a thing. He weighs his options.

By disagreeing, the woman will get on his case and question why he doesn’t like Kuroko.

“...Sure,” he simply says. It’s much less of a hassle with an affirmative answer.

“How cute,” is her dry remark.

Mayuzumi inwardly groans. He’s not sure if she’s being sarcastic or not, but there’s no reason to humor her. He’s got better things to do than sit and wait, especially when he’s drained from all this stress.

He makes his way back into her living room, which is much less smoke filled than before, and instead, a citrus aroma wafts throughout. How she got the smoke scent out so quick, he doesn’t know, but he’s glad. He swivels his head around for any spot to take a nap.

There’s a luxurious plush chair at the other end of the room, next to a small circular table with a glass lamp and a book on top.

Probably her reading chair.

Perfect for him to take.

He jumps onto the seat, letting himself get comfortable. He breathes in the faint scent of leather, feeling cozy enough. Before he dozes off, he hopes that when he wakes, Kuroko will be better as well.

* * *

When Kuroko comes to, he first registers the pain in his backside, which makes him twitch and groan while attempting to sit up.

“Whoa...hold it there, kid,” Kuroko feels a bare hand press down on the back of his waist. “Shouldn’t be movin’ ‘round so much. Didn’t even give you a dose of morphine, so relax,” comes a feminine voice.

“...Don’t need…” he grits out.

“‘Course you need it. No need for actin’ tough, kid.”

“Who…?” Kuroko cranes his neck to see the unfamiliar person, but a hand just pats his head.

“Don’t make me angry. Go back to sleep.”

Wait.

Kuroko plants his left arm on the surface he’s lying upon, pushing himself up. “Where...where’s Mayuzumi-san?”

“Ya mean your cat? He’s safe ‘n the other room, so sleep before I make ya sleep.”

No. _No._

A sudden panic sweeps over Kuroko, throwing all his rationality aside. He wrenches himself up, ignoring the heavy sting of protest from his back. The heart monitor begins beeping, loud and incessant.

“I want...let me see Mayuzumi-san!” he turns panic-filled eyes towards the woman, reaching for her.

She blows a stray hair out of her face, her patience wearing thin.

“Kid,” she starts, like she’s done this a million times, “Don’t care if you’re going ‘nto a state of shock, but I said. _Sleep.”_

Kuroko continues struggling, pulling against all the wires attached to him. He tells himself to get to Mayuzumi, and to fix the situation before this stranger can do anything further. Danger is all his mind can think about.

She clicks her tongue, then with a snap of her finger, Kuroko grows drowsy. His mind continues to run haywire, but the effects of whatever she did lulls him back into a deep sleep.

The doctor threads her fingers through her hair, pushing it back over her head. “...I need a smoke.”

* * *

The odor of cigarette smoke forces Mayuzumi awake from his slumber, itching at his nose. God, he really hates that smell, especially because of his sensitive cat nose.

Peeling open one eye, he’s about to ask the woman if she’s done operating on Kuroko and tell her he doesn’t appreciate her smoking, only to look up and encounter her high heel next to him.

His face twists in confusion, before realizing that he’s on the floor instead of the seat he fell asleep upon.

He hasn’t the slightest clue as to how he ended up on the floor without waking up, but he has more crucial things to address.

“Are you done with him?”

He hears the pages of a book turn, and then what sounds like her breathing out smoke.

“Yeah. Thought I should tell ya he went ‘nto shock. It’ll take a few days for him to heal up here.”

Mayuzumi withstands the need to bang his head against the floor.

They don’t have the luxury of a few days. Hell, they need to wake up _now_ , or else Mayuzumi might just end up in the hospital in the real world.

But wait, Kuroko went into _shock_? Just how much blood did he lose in order for that to happen?

Worry clouds Mayuzumi’s mind, making his thoughts run rampant. Even if Kuroko could continue traveling within the next day, he couldn’t afford to reopen his wound, so he couldn’t resort to running the whole journey. Time is slipping away from them quicker than they can keep up, and they lose more every precious moment. Just how long will it take before this is all over?

“Is he awake?” Mayuzumi asks.

“He’ll stay asleep for another few hours.”

_Dammit._

Not if Mayuzumi can help it. He pads over to the room Kuroko is in, all the while cursing at the Takao with wings, cursing his cat body, cursing the doctor, cursing Kuroko, and cursing everyone else while he’s at it.

The steady beep of the heart rate monitor reaches his ears as he crosses the threshold into the other room. Kuroko is no longer hooked up to a load of wires, and now only the clasp upon Kuroko’s finger connects him to the heart rate monitor. The doctor has dressed him in a hospital gown, so Mayuzumi doesn’t have to deal with his eyes straying towards that injury.

He knows he shouldn’t disturb Kuroko, but honestly, he does not give a fuck when they’ve got to get going.

Jumping on Kuroko sounds like it’ll do the trick.

He bends his hind legs, then pounces onto the bed, aiming to wake the other in one fell swoop. He misses, and lands next to the other’s shoulder. He stares down at Kuroko, and his eyes gravitate towards that spot on his back. Kuroko’s head is also bandaged.

Now he’s having second thoughts.

Mayuzumi can do without a violent awakening from the other, so he instead jabs Kuroko’s cheek to see if the other will react. “Wake up.”

Kuroko’s eyelids twitch upon contact, then his expression goes placid again.

“Wake up, brat,” Mayuzumi pokes Kuroko’s face over and over.

The heart rate monitor stutters, then Kuroko’s hand comes up to grasp at the air where the cat’s paw was.

Mayuzumi hears a small groan, before Kuroko’s eyes flutter open.

“M...Mayuzumi-san?”

“Do you have enough energy to heal your back injury?” he cuts straight to the point.

Kuroko presses his arm upon the surface to push himself up to sit. His head and eyelids droop, the remains of sleep still impairing him. He reaches his palm up to his eyes to rub the sleep away. “Where...where am I?” he asks instead, perhaps having not heard Mayuzumi’s question. “Did you take me here?”

“Hate to burst your bubble, but I don’t do favors like drag your ass around.”

“Then who did?”

“Some woman.”

“Did you ask her to?”

Mayuzumi’s eyes look to the side, finding sudden interest in the various machines around the room.

Kuroko’s weary eyes blink at him in confusion, wondering why Mayuzumi has gone unusually silent.

Then, a moment of clarity hits him, and he can’t help the smile that appears on his face. Maybe Mayuzumi wasn’t so bad after all.

Mayuzumi begins with, “Do you thi—”

His next words are forgotten as he feels Kuroko’s arms enveloping him, pulling him to the other’s chest.

“Oi. Hands off, brat,” Mayuzumi squirms away, but Kuroko’s arms lock him in. “I said—”

Mayuzumi’s heart skips a beat, mouth clicking shut in his surprise.

Did Kuroko just.

Kuroko kisses the top of Mayuzumi’s head, and then his hands reach to pat the back of the cat’s neck. “Thank you, Mayuzumi-san.”

Fuck. _What the fuck._

“That was very kind of you,” Kuroko scratches behind his ear, loosening his hold and setting the cat down on his lap. A ghost of a smile forms on his lips.

Inside Mayuzumi’s head, chaos ensues.

Kuroko practically sees the gears trying to turn in Mayuzumi’s head, as his face is frozen in what can only be described as pure bewilderment. He stares like a deer in the headlights at Kuroko, unable to follow what had just occurred. While Mayuzumi’s head is a jumble of obscenities and figurative bombs going off, Kuroko could imagine the sound of elevator music playing in Mayuzumi’s head to keep him collected.

“Are you okay?” Kuroko understands that what he just did might not have been the best course of action, so he attempts to pull Mayuzumi out of his thoughts by scratching his chin and stroking his back.

Mayuzumi feels as if a blanket has been wrapped around all his senses, muffling Kuroko’s voice and dulling the sensation of Kuroko’s hands.

“Please don't look at me like that,” Kuroko places his hand over Mayuzumi's eyes. “You kissed me first, after all,” his face warms up a bit at the memory, and Kuroko pushes that thought out quick.

Mayuzumi’s paw reaches up to bat Kuroko’s hand away, finally giving the other a reaction besides a dumbfounded look. “I don’t need praise from you, brat,” is Mayuzumi’s belated answer, having not caught Kuroko’s embarrassed words. He’s going to ignore whatever just happened. Now is not the time for it, anyway.

Kuroko’s hands continue to scratch at his chin, and Mayuzumi has to suppress a shudder.

Just this once, Mayuzumi will make an exception for Kuroko. But God, he forgets how nice Kuroko’s coddling is. Those fingers on his chin—

He sucks in a sharp breath and his tail curls.

He totally does _not_ once again melt into the other’s hold, nope.

Kuroko’s smile grows, grabbing ahold of Mayuzumi’s paws and rubbing the back of them. “Shake hands.”

“I’m not a dog, brat,” Mayuzumi resists Kuroko’s ministrations, but his words have no real bite to them.

“No, but you’re cute,” Kuroko admits. He wraps his arms around Mayuzumi, hugging the cat.

“You sure that arrow didn’t pierce your head?” Mayuzumi pokes fun. “First you think I’m a dog, and now you’re calling me cute,” regardless, he lets himself be enveloped in Kuroko’s warmth.

“But you are cute,” Kuroko insists, petting the cat more.

Any other time, Mayuzumi would be wiggling away from Kuroko, because he is in no fucking way _cute_. Cat or not, no one thinks of him and says that he’s cute. Or if they did, they’d be weirder than these dreams.

He’s about to let his claws do the talking, but then remembers that he’s got business to tend to.

“Hey,” he pushes against Kuroko’s chest, “we need to get going. We’ve already wasted enough time. You can heal yourself, right?”

“I can try,” Kuroko lets Mayuzumi go, and then he reaches his left hand behind himself towards the injury, feeling some sort of bandage upon the area.

Tightening his focus, he pictures the skin around his injury melding together, as he feels a strange sensation upon his back. He tests his right arm, rotating it carefully for any signs of pain. Feeling none, he nods to Mayuzumi to affirm his success.

“If you’re awake, then I need to talk to ya,” the doctor interrupts them while leaning against the doorway. “Just unclip the monitor ‘nd come to the main room when you’re ready,” she heads back into the other room.

“Was she the one who operated on me?” Kuroko asks.

Mayuzumi nods, reaching the edge of the bed and dropping to the floor.

“Wait, Mayuzumi-san. What’s her name?” Kuroko kicks his feet over the bed, seeing that his clothes have been folded neatly, yet the blood remains.

“Don’t know, don’t care,” he says before disappearing around the doorway.

Kuroko shakes his head, telling himself he should’ve known better than to ask.

* * *

After Kuroko had healed his head injury and various other bruises upon his body, he takes all of his clothes to the bathroom. He pulls all the blood out of his clothes with a wave of his hand, lets the blood drain down the sink, and then he puts them on to view himself in the bathroom mirror.

How odd.

His hair usually is sticking up every which way after waking up, but he finds his hair as neat as ever. He picks at a strand of hair, inspecting it as if he could find an answer. With no idea to go off of, he gives it no second thought before throwing his bag over himself and heading towards the living room.

Upon rounding the corner, he sees that Mayuzumi is lying upon a wooden chair, while the woman is sitting with her legs crossed in a larger plush seat. In one hand is a book, and in the other is a cigarette holder.

“Sit,” she directs, pointing her cig holder at the chair Mayuzumi is on.

Kuroko makes his way over, holding his arms out for Mayuzumi to jump into. The cat recoils in distaste, and instead jumps to the floor.

Suit yourself.

Kuroko sits, adjusting his cloak to get comfortable. As always, he needs to begin with formalities. “Thank you for all your help. I apologize if I’ve been an inconvenience,” he bows in his seat.

The woman breathes a trail of smoke out, then snaps her thick book shut, setting it aside onto the small table. She looks up, fixing Kuroko with a thoughtful look. “Wow,” is all she begins with.

Kuroko raises his head, not following her.

She pauses for a moment. “Thought ya two got ‘long well earlier, but it doesn’t seem that way at all now.”

“Of course not. We’re not friends,” Mayuzumi replies with no regards to Kuroko’s opinion.

Kuroko’s expression is carefully blank, hiding the slight disappointment he feels after hearing Mayuzumi’s answer. He thought that he and the cat could at long last get along, but it appears that Kuroko was just clinging to false hope.

“So ya lied to me,” she says less as a question, and more as confirmation.

“…Sure,” he parrots his earlier response.

Kuroko is unable to understand what the other two are discussing, so he remains silent. While he finds the right moment to speak up, a new curiosity arises within him.

If the woman is a doctor, then why did she enjoy smoking? He wants to ask, but that’s likely not the most polite thing to do.

“Why do you smoke?” Mayuzumi asks.

Kuroko doesn’t know if he should be thankful or ashamed that he has an ill-mannered cat to speak for him.

“‘Cause I want to, why else?”

Well, that’s a simpler reason than Kuroko had believed. Still, wouldn’t she want to avoid destroying her health, given the adverse side effects?

“You’re a doctor, and yet you’re okay with ruining your lungs?”

Once again, Mayuzumi seems to be able to pull the words right out from Kuroko’s mouth.

“'M a medical practitioner, not a fucking role model,” she rolls her eyes.

“Then why did you choose to become a doctor?” Kuroko asks, believing this question to be more acceptable to ask.

“Kid,” she stops to take another drag, “have ya ever seen the real world?” she breathes out.

Before Kuroko can answer, she continues.

“Stupid question, huh? Then I’ll restate it for ya,” she pauses, appearing to keep a reign on her words with the way her lips almost twitch into a frown. “What’s most important when it comes to survivin' ‘n society?”

Kuroko stares, clearly lost.

“Money,” Mayuzumi states without missing a beat.

She points her cigarette holder at the cat, “He catches my drift. Smart one, ain’t he?”

“So you’re a doctor for the wealth,” Mayuzumi muses, giving another once over of her posh living room. “I wouldn’t mind doing so either.”

She smiles, her pretty red lips revealing pearly whites. “So as ya can see, kid, ’m a doctor cause money is all that matters,” she idly wiggles her cigarette holder, the motion not unlike flicking ash from a cig into an ashtray.

Maybe it’s because Mayuzumi is on the verge of entering the adult world that he was able to answer so quickly, but Kuroko doesn’t believe that that is entirely the reason why. Is Mayuzumi materialistic? Maybe, but maybe not, Kuroko isn’t sure. This Mayuzumi is only what his head has constructed the other to behave like, so he hopes that it isn’t true.

“’Nough of that. Let’s talk business.”

Oh. Kuroko had forgotten about that. Obviously, money would be needed for her service. He reaches into his bag for anything remotely resembling a coin or a paper bill, but only feels the crinkling of the plastic wrap of the bread. 

“You’ve got no money, do ya kid?” she looks displeased.

Kuroko gives a slow nod. “I’m sorry. Is there anything else that I could offer you?”  
She draws another puff of smoke, and then regards Kuroko with a pensive expression as she breathes out. “Let’s strike a deal, then,” she stands up, her heel clacking against her floor. “Give me your cat, ’nd I won’t ask for any money.”

Mayuzumi looks taken aback, weirded out by that idea.

Kuroko blinks. “I’m sorry, but that’s one thing I cannot give to you. Why do you want him?”

“His pelt,” is her blunt answer.

Kuroko doesn’t bother to hide his mortified expression. Mayuzumi’s fur stands on end as his face scrunches up in disapproval. He flashes his claws, preparing to strike at any moment.

Her lips tug into a smirk. “‘M kiddin’, kid. No need to look so offended.”

“You are not fucking kidding,” Mayuzumi finds himself scooching closer to Kuroko.

The woman lets her smile grow, taking another drag. “Whatever helps you sleep at night,” she then exhales, resting her cigarette holder onto her table. “But that still doesn’t change my request. It’s either money, or your cat,” she reaches for something within her shawl, and then pulls out a knife.

Mayuzumi squints, realizing that the knife she’s holding is the one that he never got back from Takao. He backs up in fright. “How the hell did you get that?” he scowls at her.

She holds the knife up to the light and tilts it. “A lil’ birdy stopped by earlier when ya were both asleep. It was child’s play takin' it from him,” she shrugs, the action reflecting just how apathetic she is.

Kuroko shudders, not wanting to think about what that implies. He stands up in his seat as well, gripping the backrest in unease.

Mayuzumi darts his eyes around in a panic, searching for anything they could possibly defend themselves with, but all he can think about is how deep of shit they’re in. It’s going to just be one danger after another, isn’t it?

She then brings the knife down to point towards Kuroko. “'N since you’ve got no money, I’ll be takin' that cat of yours by force.”

Kuroko’s grip upon the chair tightens, and he feels nervous sweat forming on his hands. “I don’t want to fight.”

She eases her arm back down, and with her lips pressed into a thin line, she sheathes the knife.

Both Kuroko and Mayuzumi let out a silent sigh of relief.

“Then I’ll do it the easy way.”

“What—“ Kuroko begins.

She holds out her hand, snapping her finger.

And then Kuroko’s body weakens, feeling the strong urge to sleep claiming him. He grips at the chair in vain, clinging to awareness as much as he can, but he falls to his knees. He sees Mayuzumi rush to his side through his foggy vision, placing his paws upon his leg.

“Kuroko!”

He hears Mayuzumi shouting at him in alarm, but the sounds blur together. He reaches towards Mayuzumi in one last attempt to hang onto consciousness, and then feels himself being lifted up by the ankle before he blacks out.

Mayuzumi growls, baring his fangs at the woman who has Kuroko by his ankle. “Get your fucking hands off him!” He pounces, claws and fangs ready tear her to shreds.

She kicks him away with her heel with ease, slamming him into the wall. He sees stars, and swears that he felt something in his back break.

The woman holds Kuroko up above the ground in one hand with no effort as his bag drops to the floor. She shakes him, rattling him like he’s a toy fit for a child. “Tai, get the cat,” she orders.

Mayuzumi forces himself to swivel his head around, senses on high alert for the dragon.

It comes speeding from another doorway, eyes trained on Mayuzumi as it opens up its huge jaw to shoot a blast of fire towards the cat.

He leaps out of the way while hissing in pain as the flame narrowly misses him. He rolls across the floor, until he runs into something metallic. He feels uneven metal flooring beneath him, then the clatter of a metal latch closing.

_Fuck._

He looks up, finding himself in a metal cage with the dragon perched on top, who gives a screech of triumph upon trapping Mayuzumi. Where the hell did this cage come from? He didn’t see anything like this when he scanned the room earlier.

“You fucking piece of _shit,_ ” he seethes through clenched teeth. He almost makes a move to swipe his claw up at the dragon, but remembers that he would prefer to not be set on fire.

Mayuzumi glares menacingly at the woman, wanting for her to combust into flames from the sheer effort of his glare. “Bitch, get back here!” he stabs a paw through the bars of the cage, clawing at the air. “ _I’m not fucking done with you_!”

She spares him one last, “Have fun ‘n there,” and Mayuzumi watches in horror as she opens the front door and walks out with Kuroko, the door shutting behind her with a deadening click.

Mayuzumi’s chest tightens, and all of his will and strength forsake him. What is she going to do with Kuroko? Dispose of him? Leave him for dead? _Sell him?_

His body involuntarily trembles as he thinks about his own demise. He grows cold, and his head thuds against the cage.

Goddamn it. Goddamn it _all._

The dragon snickers at him in sadistic glee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;) Yes yes I enjoy bisexual Mayuzumi thank you.  
> Hopefully I didn't screw up the medical procedure too much.  
> Thanks for reading guys!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Real life begins to get involved, and both boys are stressed out of their mind.  
> Warning: Beware of bugs. Specifically an unfriendly beetle.

A delicate hand clasps tightly at a calloused hand, lacing their fingers together.

Pink downcast eyes observe the boy currently lying comatose in the hospital bed, searching for any signs of movement.

Momoi tells herself that the reason why Kuroko has been hospitalized is not due to her actions. None of her notes could have ever contributed to this outcome.

Even so, the amount of heartache she feels is undeniable. She stares at their connected hands, letting it comfort her.

Just because Aomine left earlier than she did doesn’t give her an excuse to sulk as much as she pleases. She doesn’t blame him for leaving, because being in a hospital is stifling enough as is. Visiting a comatose friend, on the other hand, is like breathing through tubes thinner than the ones connected to Kuroko, and she struggles to convince her childhood friend to get him to stay.

She blinks rapidly, refusing to let any tears fall, because she knows that Kuroko is strong. He will wake up, and he will be up practicing basketball again like normal. She has the utmost faith in him, and this will all soon pass. She readjusts her fingers in the other’s hand, wishing for him to squeeze her hand back.

Multiple footsteps approach from down the hallway to the room, but she pays no mind to it. Even if it’s only for a bit longer, she wants to enjoy the privacy of just her and the boy.

The footsteps cease right at the entrance of the room, and her grip loosens.

“Momoi-chan,” the voice comes as no surprise to her.

Momoi turns to face the group of high school students, sparing a smile that she hopes doesn’t appear too strained.

“Riko-chan,” she answers back.

* * *

Mayuzumi growls at the dragon sitting on top of the cage, who swishes its tail right in front of the latch, clearly meant to get under his skin. It grins, still basking in the glory of its success.

It’s been fifteen minutes or so, and the woman still hasn’t returned. Anxiety forms in the pit of Mayuzumi's stomach, and he's beginning to believe that maybe she’s either torturing Kuroko, or doing something else besides just killing him.

He suppresses a shiver, and places a paw upon the front of the cage. He refuses to think that Kuroko will lose to that woman just because he’s been put to sleep.

And he refuses to continue relying on Kuroko just because he’s a cat, even if he likely has a fractured bone in his back.

God.

He doesn't want to doubt that they’ll escape and wake up, but every entity that they encounter somehow finds a method of preventing their freedom. First that old man who had stalled them, then phony Takao, then finally this woman and her obnoxious dragon.

It’s all much too tiring. There’s a huge part of him that wants to give up and just sleep all the troubles away, and a tiny voice tells him to lose faith in Kuroko as well.

But there’s still a part that tells him he can’t let this end. Kuroko’s not the only one with a hardy resolution, and it won't be over till it's over.

He almost snorts at himself. Now he’s starting to sound like the brat.

Not that that philosophy is wrong, necessarily...but clinging to ideal hopes is just not worth the trouble.

Doesn’t mean that he will go down without a fight, though.

As he thinks that, he glances up towards that dragon, positioning himself right beneath its feet upon the cage. He studies its foot, and then looks down at his own front paw.

It probably won’t help him, but he will certainly try.

Since the woman and this dragon went through the trouble of caging him, the dragon will likely steer clear of setting him on fire. If that’s the case, then he has a chance at escaping.

Waiting for the dragon to take its eyes off of him, he carefully draws his paw back while his eyes remain pinpointed upon the target.

His breath stills, channeling all of his focus into this one attack.

He shoots his paw towards the dragon like a whip, his claws bared.

The dragon screeches in pain as he digs his claws into its foot, anchoring it against the cage. It scrambles to fly away, but can only squawk in agony as Mayuzumi burrows his claws farther into its foot.

He brings his other paw up, stabbing it through an opening and swiping at the dragon in frenzy, aiming to do some damage.

The dragon cranks open its jaw again, inhaling and breathing out a stream of fire at the cat.

Mayuzumi grunts in effort to swing out of the way, and the fire narrowly misses snagging his still gnarled tail, as he kicks up his hind feet to latch onto the ceiling to dodge. The flames instead burn the bottom of the cage and begin melting it, glowing red with heat.

The dragon wheezes, all flamed out. It continues to flail and beat its wings, dangling its tail down in between the bars of the cage. It takes flight with Mayuzumi still latched onto him, and Mayuzumi has no time to let go before he smacks face first into the cage.

His front paws scramble for purchase, clutching onto the dragon’s tail. He drops to the floor of the cage, feeling it sear his feet. He ignores it, and keeps his claws embedded in the tail.

The dragon beats its wings in vain, flying in a crazed panic as it shrieks.

A brilliant idea hits Mayuzumi, and he pulls the tail down more, securing his claws tight as he nearly stretches the dragon’s tail out.

The dragon breathes balls of fire randomly in its outrage, destroying the room around them. It can only retaliate by beating its wings with more fury.

Thank God Mayuzumi knows physics.

And all at once, he releases the tail.

The dragon zips off like a slingshot, its rapid flight propelling it forward at an alarming rate straight towards the ceiling.

In the next second, Mayuzumi hears the shattering of glass, and then a long, drawn—out, high pitched screech pierces the room, making him pin his ears back upon his head. He swings himself up to hang on the top of the cage to escape the burn in his feet.

The light flickers, and then darkness cloaks the whole room.

_Oh fuck._

He doesn’t breathe.

The sound of something collapsing to the floor pulls him out of his shock, and he squints through the darkness to inspect the destruction.

His body goes rigid at the sight.

Thanks to his night vision, he’s able to see the dragon lying upon the floor with no trouble, but at this moment, he wishes that he couldn’t.

Because that dragon is undoubtedly _dead._

Electrocuted, zapped, fried to a crisp _dead._

It lies immobile, in an awkward and scrunched up position with its eyes bulging and tongue lolling out. It would be almost amusing if this were a cartoon or a slapstick comedy. But this is no cartoon. And even if it isn’t reality, it sure looks and feels like it, given the dread that settles in Mayuzumi’s stomach.

As much as Mayuzumi despises that dragon, watching it die by his hands is a whole nother story.

Holy hell.

He just killed this creature. He doesn’t care how much of this is unreal and just in his head, because he feels like he’s in reality, and yet at the same it’s un— _fucking_ —real.

He needs to get out of here before the woman returns. He needs to go find Kuroko and forget that this ever happened. He needs to escape because he’s already neck—deep in festering shit.

A sudden sting shoots through his head, like a needle had been stabbed through his skull. It’s sharp, but fades as quickly as it comes. He blinks, readjusting his grip upon the ceiling to raise his paw up to feel the top of his head for anything unusual.

Something flickers in his vision, and for a second he sees a dragon talon in place of his paw, making him flinch and fall to the floor as he rips his hand away from himself.

_What the hell._

He stands back up, the floor now at a bearable temperature. He blinks and flexes his hand, now an ordinary cat paw. He squints at it like he had just punched himself, rotating it and examining it.

He’s got no patience to be hallucinating, goddammit. He screws his eyes shut and blinks a few times for good measure before glaring at his paw again.

Yup, still a cat paw.

Doesn’t matter. This is the least of his worries. He examines the room through the darkness while forcing himself to disregard the dragon. There’s nothing in sight that he could grab on to help him get out, and a heavy sigh escapes him.

This fucking sucks. He leans his forehead against the front of the cage, stressed out of his mind. He’s sitting in this cage helpless and Kuroko is out there risking his wellbeing for him. He swears that when he wakes up, he won’t be going back to sleep for at least a week or so, depending on how long he’s remained asleep in reality.

These dreams—no, _nightmares_ —are much too dangerous. Mayuzumi lets his eyes fall shut, thinking about how he’s protracted this strange connection between him and Kuroko for far too long. They can’t continue like this. Although Mayuzumi had initially wanted to mess with Kuroko a bit, he’s in the right mind to not to let these nightmares run its course further. And regardless of whether Mayuzumi dislikes or likes Kuroko, these dreams are detrimental for the both of them. Seeing just how bleak their situations while dreaming can get, it’s his responsibility to sever this connection.

He relaxes his neck, and he hits his head on the front of the cage.

Goddamn it all.

Wake up. He slams his head against the cage.

_Wake up._ Slam. _Wake up_. Slam. _Fucking_. Slam. _Wake up._ Slam.

His head hurts.

Finding no other method of expressing his frustration, Mayuzumi decides that the only thing he can do for now is wait for Kuroko to return.

He curls up on the floor of the cage, getting as comfy as he can. He’s not incredibly tired, but he’d rather sleep and let the worries fly away rather than let stress plague him.

And soon enough, all of his stress ebbs away as sleep claims him.

* * *

Kuroko awakes to the feeling of blood rushing to his head from being held upside down, which is somewhat painful and doesn’t help to keep him asleep.

He resists the urge to shift, and remains motionless as the doctor still has him held by the ankle. He’s at an advantage right now, given that she isn’t aware that he’s woken up from her carelessness. She’s maneuvering casually through the more inconspicuous routes of the town, letting the darkness enshroud her and Kuroko. He has no clue as to where she’s taking him, but Kuroko can’t stay long enough to find out.

He wracks his blood filled brain for a plan. His best course of action would be to catch her off guard with a quick and decisive movement like sweeping her off her feet, and then making a beeline straight back where Mayuzumi is.

But he has no idea where the other is, and even if he does, navigating through all these winding streets at night with no map won’t bode well for him.

So, what could he possibly do?

If he can focus hard enough on finding Mayuzumi’s presence, then maybe he has a shot at this. It’s not too different from when he located Mayuzumi across all those mountain peaks, except this time, it’s deadlier. He doesn’t want to believe that the doctor is capable of killing him, but he wouldn’t put it past her. If it reaches that point, he’ll just have to hope forming barriers will prevent any serious injury.

Scrunching his eyes together half in concentration and the other half to fight against the painful rush of blood, Kuroko attempts to determine where he should escape in order to find the cat. He ignores the painful throb of his head, and uses all of his concentration to seek out Mayuzumi.

After a few moments, he has a hazy idea, but an idea nonetheless.

He takes a glance at the doctor’s feet, concocting a plan that will allow him to escape with ease.

This will be no problem. He’s a master of stealth, and his years of practicing misdirection won’t fail him now. He scans his surroundings, searching for anything on the ground that he could use to divert her attention.

Nothing but dirt, but he can work with that.

He trains his eyes upon the doctor’s ankle, waiting for the right moment to strike. Holding his breath, he flicks an inconspicuous finger out, causing for the loose dirt behind them to shift a bit, creating the sound of someone scuffing the ground with their heel.

The doctor stops and turns her head back just a bit.

He holds his breath.

Faster than the eye can see, Kuroko whips his hand out towards the doctor’s ankle in a nervous rush, adrenaline running through him because he can’t afford to fall flat.

And instead he finds himself flying away, thrown off into the air before crashing into the earth with a startled grunt of pain, literally falling flat onto the floor.

Okay, maybe he wasn’t as good as he thought he was.

The doctor clicks her tongue in distaste, pulling at her glove. Her heels dig into the dirt as she reaches into her coat and pulls out the knife. “Hard way it is then,” she unsheathes it, and then searches for something else in her coat pockets.

Kuroko hastens to upright himself, dizziness from the blood running inside his head hindering his movements. By the time he can do so, the doctor is already charging at him, arm drawn back with the knife in hand.

He barely dodges in time, and then attempts to run around her to escape back the way they came, only to end up getting tripped by her.

He rolls himself around, his mind screaming at him to block the knife aimed at him. The doctor flings the knife down towards him, which he deflects with a barrier.

His body struggles to obey his mind commanding for him to _get up,_ and it comes as no surprise that he isn’t able to block a harsh kick to his side.

The impact sends him a good few meters away, hand held to his side in a measly endeavor to ease the pain. He winces and can already feel the bruise forming upon his skin.

No time to care for it now. He successfully gets up to run away, hearing the doctor chase after him with a frightening amount of speed. He knows he isn’t the fastest, but her speed is on par with Kagami’s sprint—in heels, no less!

She catches up to him in no time, snatching his hood and throwing him to the ground. Stunned, Kuroko makes another barrier in front of him, screwing his eyes shut in fear of what’s coming next.

Instead of something like a kick to the face, Kuroko finds himself being lifted up by the front of his cloak. He squirms in her hold, trying to push her arm off of him. He peeks one careful eye open, viewing the stony face of the doctor as he fights against her grip.

The knife is nowhere in sight, but that only serves to further Kuroko’s panic. He kicks out his leg at her, but falls short of making contact as she swings him away from her. The doctor lets him writhe for a moment, and when Kuroko realizes he’s only fighting a losing battle, he stills.

He isn’t sure, but he believes the doctor thinks that they’re at a stalemate. His one objective is taking Mayuzumi back from her, and he’d like to avoid fighting anyone, especially a woman. She hasn’t outright killed him yet, even when she has had plenty of chances. That possibly means that she wants to refrain from doing so, and that belief is backed up by her position as a doctor. Dream or not, he thinks that people in general don’t search for ways to get arrested, and it would be the same for her. Although, he doesn’t know how much a society like this would be interested in solving a murder case.

Kuroko stares back at the doctor, now thinking about how he should be the one appeasing to her demands, given that she’s the one who saved his life. No matter what though, Kuroko can’t and _won’t_ accept handing Mayuzumi over to her.

“Have you ever been poisoned before?” she asks.

Kuroko blinks at the strange question, mind running wild with frightening possibilities of her potential actions. He finds it in himself to reply, “No,” but he believes his honesty will do more harm than good.

She pulls something else out of her coat pocket, holding it up in front of his face to see. “Do you know what this is?”

In her hand is a small bottle, holding what seems to be a kind of beetle. Kuroko puts two and two together, and fear flashes in his eyes. He sucks in a sharp gasp of air, and his expression morphs into one of further panic, pounding his fists upon her arm. “Let go!”

Her face betrays no pain from his struggle. She shakes the bottle, which agitates the insect inside, pincers looking more and more menacing by the second. Adjusting her grip upon the bottle, she snaps her finger.

_No!_ Kuroko protests, but he’s uncertain if he managed to express that aloud. He feels energy leave his body, even though the urge to sleep isn’t as potent as before. His fists beat against her arm weakly, before they drop to his side altogether.

“It won’t kill you,” her face remains impassive as she pops the bottle open with a simple removal of the cork lid, letting it drop to the ground.

In his head, Kuroko can’t decide whether her claim is true or not as he endures the need to relax in her hold. He feels paralyzed, defenseless against his attacker. His mind is sending panic signals to his body, but his body is too calm and refuses to listen. Thoughts dart around inside his head, formulating a plan to escape.

He hears his slowing heartbeat in his ear, and the bottle draws ever closer. But he _won’t_ be defeated here.

Kuroko lifts his arm up just by a fraction, and his pointer finger twitches outward. The dirt behind him kicks up briefly.

A tickling sensation crosses his cheek, and he cringes as he imagines the beetle crawling around, ready to sink its poisonous jaws into him. He squeezes his eyelids shut.

He brings his arm forward with a jerk.

A small gasp arises from the doctor, and then Kuroko feels her let go while he collapses to the ground, arm still outstretched. Wind surges from behind him towards the doctor, violently blowing past with no mercy. The beetle flies off somewhere, leaving Kuroko unscathed. Energy returns to him in mere moments, and he pushes himself up to stand with the wind continuing to churn up dirt and dust. It gets in his hair, but he presses forward to keep the doctor away, while he hears an alarmed shout from her.

From behind closed eyes, he has no idea what he’s done, until the sound is then followed up by harsh coughing, to which he lets the storm he created die out as he drops his arm back down. He rubs any excess dirt off of his face before opening his eyes.

“Yo—” she rasps, degenerating into breathless coughs. She’s on the ground, one hand placed over her mouth and the other pressed tight up against her chest. A bizarre, almost inhuman sound generates from her throat as she chokes on what Kuroko can only assume is the dirt he whipped up. He remembers that her reaction is likely more severe due to her smoking habits.

“ _Damn_ —” she tries to right herself, but her coughing persists, and she collapses onto the floor again.

Now is his chance.

Kuroko makes a beeline back towards the way they came, although he finds himself second guessing his choice and halting a few paces away from the doctor.

This doesn’t sit well in his gut.

He could at least offer her a drink of water, right? He hadn’t anticipated for her to suffocate on the dirt he created, and he honestly feels terrible for doing so.

Kuroko makes his way over to her. With an “Excuse me,” as his only forewarning, he places his hands upon her shoulders to allow her to sit up and lean against the wall.

She glares up at him, putting forth a substantial amount of effort to withhold her coughing.

He kneels down to her height, and then tugs a finger at the air to pull any water he can find out of the atmosphere, building it up into a globular mass.

“I’m sorry about that,” he holds it in the air in front of her, “are you able to drink?”

Her frown remains, looking like she’d rather die by her coughing fit than accept his help. And in one fell swoop, her arm swipes out to disperse the water in front of her.

Well, can’t say that he didn’t try.

“ _Go_ ,” she manages through a cough.

“But—“

She slaps him across the face, albeit the sting is dulled by her glove. She looks absolutely _livid_ , a ticking time bomb awaiting its detonation. Kuroko gapes at her, dumbfounded. The only other time he recalls a girl slapping him is his coach, but of course that was for everyone’s benefit during a particularly bad basketball game. Still, the message is all the same.

Reluctantly, Kuroko stands up and away from her. Her body continues to convulse from her coughs, with no sign of ceasing. Sparing one last glance back at her, Kuroko rushes off in order to find Mayuzumi.

* * *

Turns out it wasn’t too difficult to navigate his way back to her home.

The problem now lies in the fact that he can’t open her door.

He glances around for any possible place that a key could be hidden, but finds none.

Great.

Kicking the door down is his fastest option, but with how bad he already feels about suffocating the doctor, he’d prefer not to do that.

Could he somehow pick the lock?

He continues to consider his options and search for new ones, until he settles on a method that will cause no damage to the door, but might be difficult for him to pull off.

Placing his hand over the lock on the door, he visualizes the lock on the other side of the door, then imagining it twisting into unlocking.

He hears no change, so he tries again.

_Focus._ He can do this. A deep breath in, and a deep breath out. Just envision the door unlocking itself.

He hears a click.

A smile of triumph crosses his expression, and he swings the door open to step into the home. He gives the room a once over, spotting his bag and Mayuzumi trapped in a cage upon the floor across the room.

“Mayuzumi-san,” he calls out.

He hurries over to grab his bag, and then crouches down next to the cage, fumbling with the latch. Successfully opening it, Kuroko reaches his hands forward to grab Mayuzumi.

“Let’s go.”

He reflexively jerks his hand back upon seeing Mayuzumi flinching away from his hands, back arching in fury with a hiss.

Kuroko stares at a loss, but slowly reaches his hands forward again.

With his fangs and claws bared, Mayuzumi jumps at Kuroko, and the other has no time to even blink before he leaps and manages to get dangerously close to slicing a wound across his face. Kuroko lurches his face away just in the nick of time, falling onto his back in shock.

“Wait—Mayuzu—”

The cat gives him no time to recover, and promptly pounces again with even more hostility, uncharacteristic growls erupting from his throat. Mayuzumi may not be the kindest, but Kuroko doesn’t know what he could have possibly done to have justified such a vicious reaction from the other.

“Calm down—”

Kuroko is silenced by a sharp swipe across his nose, and he flinches at the pain.

He grabs hold of Mayuzumi, a stern look upon his face. He thanks Aru once again in his head as Mayuzumi tries to claw at his leather gloves. He sits up with the cat tight in his grasp, locking the other in so he can’t wriggle out. “Mayuzumi-san. _Stop it_.”

The cat only growls back at him, no traces of recognition in his angry expression. He cracks open his jaw wide, craning his neck forward to bite Kuroko’s hand.

Kuroko keeps his grip intact in spite of the pain, and after a moment's hesitation, he shoves Mayuzumi back into the cage, hurriedly slamming the door closed and fastening the latch. Mayuzumi slams his head against the cage, paws reaching for Kuroko like a feral animal.

“I’m sorry,” he can’t help but say, as he stares in worry. Kuroko inhales all the way, and then releases a full body sigh.

He pulls back his glove to reveal his injured hand, grimacing at the punctured skin and bits of blood. At least he hasn’t heard any signs of the doctor returning yet.

Kuroko hopes that he’ll catch a lucky break for once in these wretched dreams, and that Mayuzumi didn’t somehow develop rabies when he wasn’t looking. As humans, both of them might be fine, but Kuroko isn’t so sure about a cat Mayuzumi.

Placing one hand over his injured one, Kuroko glances around for any medical gauze, thinking about where the doctor might stash her supplies.

He turns to look back at Mayuzumi in apprehension, wondering just how long this new problem will last.

“...What happened to you, Mayuzumi-san?” Kuroko says after a moment.

The sound of low growls and the cage rattling is his only reply.

* * *

Kuroko pokes his head out the door, peeking around to see if anyone is around, before darting down the stairs when the coast is clear. He remains on his toes, however, since he knows that the doctor could be waiting right around the corner.

He makes his way to a more populated area of the town. The sky is becoming steadily brighter, and he thinks he can see the sun getting ready to peek out over the horizon. This relieves him, knowing that morning means people waking up and heading out.

He hears the periodic low snarl emit from Mayuzumi, claw still attempting to reach through the bars and swipe at him. Kuroko really hopes that Mayuzumi isn’t sick, but given that the doctor almost successfully poisoned him earlier, it’s rather likely.

Kuroko attempts to keep Mayuzumi out of sight and away from any onlookers, even if the other’s growling makes it all for naught. He keeps to the wall of buildings as he continues to the bazaar, in search of any possible veterinarian.

Would there even be doctors for cats in this town?

“Hey!”

Kuroko breaks out of his thoughts, searching for the owner of the voice, which isn’t too difficult, considering that there aren’t many others that are out yet. His eyes settle upon a shopkeeper waving him over, who seems to have barely set up for the day, with various metallic trinkets, tools, or weapons on display for potential buyers.

Upon coming closer, Kuroko sees her outfit, accessorized for her work. She appears to be a blacksmith, with an apron, goggles, a tool belt, and gloves. If her outfit says anything, then it’s likely that she crafted all of these items for sale.

“Good morning,” Kuroko greets, tilting his head briefly in acknowledgement. “It’s nice to meet you.”

The shopkeeper places a few of the last items onto her display, giving a grin. “Pleasure,” she returns. “You’ve got quite the feisty cat there, what’s its name?”

Kuroko sets the cage down, then inches a bit away from it. “He’s named Mayuzumi-san,” Kuroko abruptly stops his sentence, realizing that he had tacked on the honorific out of habit. The shopkeeper raises a brow, somewhat confused. He quickly forms a lie, “He’s an old pet. I received him when he was already an adult.”

She nods, understanding. “Unusual, but nice. Are you having trouble with him?”

“I am,” Kuroko glances down at Mayuzumi, then back up. “It’s strange. He usually doesn’t behave so violently.”

The shopkeeper nods, mulling something over. “I once had a pet cat myself,” she waves her hand dismissively with a laidback expression upon seeing the slight look of sympathy from Kuroko. “Don't worry yourself over it. Anyway, she was also pretty crabby at times, so I can understand. Cats aren’t always the most cooperative, y’know?” she perks her eyebrows.

“But they’re always cute, and I’m sure yours is no different,” she points a finger down at Mayuzumi, “May I see him him for a second?”

Kuroko nods and obliges, lifting the cage up to the countertop.

She places her hand on her chin, her brow creasing at the growling cat through the cage bars. She hums, and then after a moment, she nods resolutely. “He doesn’t seem sick, but I’m just a cat owner. Take him to a doctor as soon as you can,” her posture loosens. “In the meantime, you can try this if you’d like. It works _wonders.”_ her eyes gleamed while she fumbled with something behind the counter.

Kuroko tilts his head in question, “What is it?”

The merchant’s grin grows, glad that she’s got Kuroko’s interest. She lifts her hand up to place a small bottle of powder onto the countertop. “It’s called silvervine.”

* * *

“I see,” taped fingers hold a green phone against his ear, expression solemn. “If I have the time, I will go visit him.”

He pauses as the person at the other end of the call tries to convince him to visit soon.

“I understand. I will also tell him.”

The other person thanks him and bids him farewell, sounding weary.

“Goodbye.”

Midorima presses the end call button, and then taps his way to his contact list. He scrolls his way down the list, until he finds the name of the person he’s looking for. His thumb hovers over the call button.

He ponders, wondering if now is the best time.

_No_ , this is necessary. He shakes away all the hesitation and presses the call button before he can back out.

Holding his cellphone up to his ear, Midorima subconsciously holds his breath as he listens to the line ringing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told myself that I got this. I could totally update often. Yeah, I was the best.  
> But nah I don’t got this :( Sorry.  
> I will probably be gone for a while, but I swear I’ll finish this story (I’ve written too much to just drop it now)!
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silver vine fun. Their journey may be coming to an end soon.

Mayuzumi finds himself drifting in and out of consciousness. He isn’t sure if he’s completely aware of his environment, with all the distorted shapes and colors dancing in his vision. To say that he’s confused would be an understatement. This feels like he’s having a goddamn stroke. He’s somewhat in control of his own actions, and yet he isn’t at the same time. There’s something heavy pressing upon his consciousness that he can’t get rid of, like an itch that he can’t scratch.

Not only that, but his hearing is weird as well. Garbled and muffled noises pass through one ear and out the other, and are just as difficult to understand as his vision.

It’s like his vision is tunneled, and he’s left hallucinating sounds that may or may not be there.

He isn’t even certain if this is frightening, or if this is just another weird dream thing to prevent him from waking up. Or both.

The only thing he knows is that this is far from normal, and he has to find a way to fix this. Fuck, if only he could feel like he’s got his head on right, then maybe he could begin to resolve this.

He hears something like a person’s voice, and his first hunch is that it’s Kuroko.

Kuroko.

No, maybe the woman’s voice?

He feels someone’s presence looming over him, and all of his instincts tell him to attack whoever it is. There’s something that tells him that this is the natural reaction, especially since he’s already so befuddled.

He hopes that whatever his problem is, it’ll be solved soon.

* * *

Kuroko rolls the bottle of silver vine with his thumb over his palm, flicking his eyes back and forth between the bottle and the irate cat behind bars.

The kind merchant had given this bottle to him free of charge, which he is very appreciative of. On top of that, she gave him general directions to where she believed the spring was located, their final destination. She had even explained to him how to use the powder inside, and what effects it would have upon Mayuzumi. Apparently, this substance is similar to catnip, and would induce a drunk-like state from the cat, which in turn would quell his anger.

Except Kuroko has been sitting here on the grass just on the outskirts of the town boring a hole into the bottle, dubious that “it works _wonders_ ,” as the merchant had claimed. He would’ve made his way straight to the spring, but he’d rather not carry this cage with Mayuzumi growling at him the whole way. Which may or may not even be the correct way.

It’s not that Kuroko doesn’t trust the merchant, but more like he doesn’t trust himself not to royally screw this up and have the silver vine backfire upon Mayuzumi. Even after the merchant’s many attempts to assure him. And...okay, maybe he knows he can’t blindly put all his faith in the merchant. What if this made the cat sick? Or worse, even kill him?

If only the closest veterinarian wasn’t a day's walk to the next town over, then maybe Kuroko wouldn’t be stuck here doubting himself.

Mayuzumi now sits peaceably within the cage, although any attempts to talk to him have ended with the cat’s face pressed up against the cage, arm clawing at Kuroko.

Kuroko doesn’t need to use this silver vine, anyway. He’s almost one hundred percent confident that Mayuzumi will come to his senses sooner or later, if Kuroko just waits patiently enough.

This is okay. Mayuzumi is okay. Completely fine. Just peachy. _Couldn’t be better_.

He lets his face fall into his hands. That was probably the worst attempt at convincing himself ever. He must be more out of it than usual, although that’s nothing surprising. Just staying alive right now is a struggle, and dealing with the repercussions of injury or stress is yet another battle.

His thumb turns the bottle over again in his hand, the powder inside looking like any plain old dirt found on the ground. It certainly doesn’t look like anything special.

Slipping off his gloves, Kuroko pops open the bottle, and then sets the lid down. He pauses momentarily, thinking about how he can go about this. The merchant had said to infuse a toy with the powder, despite the fact that he had no toy for Mayuzumi to play with, and the only thing that might be sufficient would be his gloves.

For now, Kuroko decides that he’ll test the powder in his bare hand first before anything else. All he needs to do is sprinkle some out and hold it out for Mayuzumi. It should be a piece of cake.

He tips the bottle over his open palm and shakes a bit of it out.

Without opening the cage, Kuroko hovers his hand out next to Mayuzumi, seeing if it will elicit any reaction besides an angry hiss.

Mayuzumi’s nose twitches, searching for the source of that smell. His head perks up, interest piqued.

Facing the hand with some caution, he inches towards the open palm with apprehension. His eyes are wide with a mix of skepticism and curiosity, looking like a kitten meeting its new owner.

Mayuzumi’s nose pokes out from in between the bars, twitching excitedly from that strange, but pleasant smell. It’s enticing, drawing him in and sealing him in tight. The idea of escape has never seemed so impossible. Whatever it is, it’s captivating, so spellbinding, and positively _intoxicating_ that his mind blocks everything else in order to pin down that scent.

He wants, no— _needs_ it.

He doesn’t think he’s ever had a craving this bad, this _intense_.

His paw reaches forward through the bars, coming so close that he’s just a hair’s breadth away…

And then it moves away and out of his reach, his paw falling just short of attaining his goal.

He swipes at the air in front of him desperately, the scent being his only connection with clarity. He can’t see or hear what it is, but surely his nose can tell.

Shapes sway in his vision, making him squint to make sense of it all.

He thinks he sees a humanoid shape in front of him. This human is toying with him.

Cruel. This human is the _cruelest_. And on second thought, they’re not even human. They’re definitely a demon. He can see the demon horns upon their head, expression filled with the most wicked of intentions, and hear the nastiest of cackles pour out from their mouth.

He will not cower at the sight of this demon. He’s never been afraid of the supernatural, and he won’t be now.

In truth, Kuroko had pulled his hand away because he figured he could let Mayuzumi out now.

Sprinkling the silver vine in his hand onto one of his gloves, Kuroko then places it at the front of the cage.

He unfastens the latch, and then pulls back the cage bars.

As expected, Mayuzumi leaves the cage with some uneasiness, but upon taking a whiff of that potent scent again, all of his attention zips straight towards the glove.

He can’t pounce quick _enough_ upon the glove, attacking it, rubbing his face against it, kneading it, and anything else he can do to reflect his excitement.

Mayuzumi is gone. Whatever this substance is, he’s so far gone that he has forgotten all about the demon next to him.

He just can’t get enough of this addicting scent.

While the cat is on cloud nine, Kuroko watches in amusement, enjoying how enthusiastic Mayuzumi is. If only he had a camera on him, then maybe he could snap a few photos for safekeeping. He’d find some way to transfer the photos from inside his head to real life.

For now, he’ll happily preserve this memory for as long as he can.

After watching Mayuzumi roll around with the glove a moment longer, Kuroko picks up the bottle of silver vine again.

Now that he thinks about it, if the cat is reacting to the scent, just what does silver vine smell like?

He lifts the bottle up closer to himself, taking a small sniff. It’s fragrant, like some sort of tea.

He’s about to set it back down and cap the lid upon it, until all he sees is Mayuzumi face in front of him.

With a startled yelp, Kuroko falls onto his back as Mayuzumi leaps on him. The bottle slips out of his hand and spills onto his chest. Panicking, he hurries to brush it all off, only to have Mayuzumi stop him by rubbing his face right below his collarbone.

Oh.

Well, this is a surprising turn of events. Not only has Kuroko succeeded in both calming Mayuzumi down, but he’s got the other to willingly seek his attention (and dare he say affection?).

Kuroko would normally be plucking the cat off of him to sweep off all the silver vine, but this opportunity is too good to pass up. There definitely would be no other chance for him to pet Mayuzumi without the other cursing up a storm.

He’s about to place his hand upon the cat’s head, only to pause as he turns this decision over in his mind.

The cat would remember this, wouldn’t he? Or would he possibly have no recollection? He considers this as Mayuzumi continues to rub and paw at him right beneath his collarbone.

Kuroko eventually decides that it wouldn’t matter whether the other remembers or not. In fact, if Mayuzumi does remember, then Kuroko could use it to tease him. He’ll just need to brush aside all the anger and sulking, which is easy enough.

Kuroko begins scratching behind his ears with one hand, unable to prevent the smile from forming on his face. Mayuzumi responds by nuzzling Kuroko’s palm, his tail drumming on Kuroko in contentment. Bringing another hand up to pet the smooth fur upon Mayuzumi’s back, Kuroko has to resist pulling Mayuzumi into a hug then and there. Don’t want to push the other too quickly, now.

And is that purring that he hears?

Sure enough, if he listens closely, low purrs emit from Mayuzumi. Kuroko blinks in amazement. It’s just one surprise after another. Now he _really_ wants a camera. And some cat toys. If he couldn’t record this, then _at least_ some toys would be helpful. It’s quite unfair that when Mayuzumi was a human he could create anything he wanted.

Kuroko sighs in disappointment, but easily returns his focus upon the cute cat. He shifts from scratching Mayuzumi’s ears down to his chin, which in turn intensifies the purrs. Unable to withstand the temptation to pull the cat closer, Kuroko wraps his arms around Mayuzumi and moves to sit up.

This might be the most enjoyable moment Kuroko has had since these lucid dreams started. Mayuzumi is terribly cute as a cat, and a small voice tells Kuroko that he may enjoy petting the cat twice as much _because_ it’s Mayuzumi. Cold and aloof Mayuzumi, who goes out of his way to ignore everyone.

At least both of them are happy with the outcome of events, or at least Kuroko would like to believe that Mayuzumi is happy. The cat continues to rub his cheek against Kuroko’s upper torso, smooshing himself closer even when there’s no more room.

Looking down at the overexcited cat, Kuroko admires the adorable image of Mayuzumi clinging to him like a koala to a tree. So cute.

As Kuroko reaches his hands towards the cat’s face, Mayuzumi gazes up at him while he gently pinches Mayuzumi’s cheeks.

Cheeks so squishy. He could squish them nonstop. Kuroko hadn’t known that cat cheeks were so squishable. Him spilling the bottle of silver vine was the best mistake he’s ever made.

This will definitely be a useful piece of info for when he wakes up. He does need to go shopping for pet care anyway, with Nigou returning soon. He’ll just make an extra purchase of silver vine next time. Then maybe he’ll track down all the stray cats just so he can pinch their cheeks.

He could be here all day squishing the adorable bundle of fur, but Kuroko knows he’s got to get a move on. At least now he can carry Mayuzumi in his arms and the other won’t complain.

Kuroko gathers everything up. As much as he wants to not have to carry the cage, he fears that Mayuzumi may act up again, though he doesn’t want to believe so.

He pockets the bottle, and then takes the bread out of his bag before stuffing the cage and gloves into his bag. Throwing the bag over his shoulder and adjusting the strap for more comfortable carrying, Kuroko stands up with Mayuzumi in one arm, bread loaf in the other.

Ripping the plastic wrap back from the bread, he’s about to tear a piece off for Mayuzumi to eat, then remembers that cats don’t benefit from eating grain.

But the cat is swatting at the food with a paw, seeking it out. Probably still out of it, as Kuroko thinks that cats shouldn’t want to eat bread either.

…

One piece wouldn’t hurt, right?

Kuroko tears a tiny piece off, and then holds it out for Mayuzumi. The cat takes it without hesitation, eating it whole and swallowing it all in one go.

He must be hungry.

Kuroko is in need of food as well, though much less than he thought he would be. The last thing he remembers eating is Aru’s soup, and that was nearly three days ago. Or he thinks it was three days ago. He may not have a huge appetite like Kagami, but three days without food is too long for an average person.

Dream mechanics are weird.

Taking a large bite out of the bread, he begins to journey towards the direction where he believes the spring is.

* * *

Kuroko really hopes he’s going in the right direction. And now he actually wishes that Mayuzumi were sober so that he could consult him.

He scratches the top of Mayuzumi’s head absentmindedly, and with no word of indignation from the other, he knows the other’s still gone.

He can’t be going the right direction. As he’s traveled, the foliage has just grown thicker and thicker, until he funds himself at the edge of a swamp. The tree trunks are submerged within the water, while the surface is covered with enough moss to hide the water itself. Patches of lily pads decorate the water as well, which are all huge, diameter spanning almost as large as he is tall.

He doesn’t suppose that maybe those are his way across? They don’t appear to be able to hold his weight, though.

Setting both his bag and Mayuzumi down (the cat wouldn’t leave his arms, but he managed), Kuroko pulls the water currents toward himself with a wave of his hand, allowing for a lily pad to float its way over to him.

Crouching down, he places his open palm upon the top, testing its ability to stay afloat. Which, to his surprise, is actually rather sturdy. He stands up to place a foot on it just for good measure, confirming that it’s an adequate substitute for a boat.

Good, he would prefer not to try and part the swamp waters like Moses, as he isn’t sure he could focus long enough to walk through. Drowning doesn’t sound fun.

“Mayuzumi-san,” he calls, making his way back over and holding out his arms for the other to jump into.

Mayuzumi complies almost too enthusiastically, bowling hard into him like he couldn’t bear to be separate from Kuroko.

This draws a smile out from Kuroko, who then picks up his bag before returning to the lily pad.

If this does fail, then maybe Kuroko will have to do some surfing. With no actual waves. That doesn’t sound too fun either. 

His arms tighten around Mayuzumi in worry. Let’s just hope that he’ll reach the spring soon.

Climbing into the makeshift raft, Kuroko feels it wobble underneath him, the sensation not unlike a waterbed. Odd is all he can say.

This is it. Time to solve Mayuzumi’s cat issue once and for all. He makes sure that Mayuzumi is comfy and cozy.

Sweeping his hand from front to back, he begins propelling them forward across the swamp.

* * *

“That’s unfortunate to hear.”

A pause.

“I’m afraid not. I have my own teammate that is also in the same situation. I will try to squeeze in some time.”

Another pause. The voice on the other end of the call questions him, imploring him to share more.

“Mayuzumi. He may not be officially part of the basketball team anymore, but he’s a friend too. He is also currently in a coma.”

The other person is silent for a moment, before offering their condolences.

“It is strange, but maybe not unheard of.”

The other throws an innocent thought out, possibly just to make small talk.

“As much as it seems like it, no. I doubt it.”

They agree, before finally bidding him farewell.

“I will. Thank you.”

Akashi ends the call and places his cellphone on his desk. Sparing a glance at the clock in his room to note that it’s almost time to call it a day, he returns to his work.

He types away at his laptop, the knowledge of Kuroko being comatose weighing heavy in the back of his mind. He’ll need to book a flight to Tokyo during his day off.

While he finishes everything up, he thinks back to the question that Midorima had posed. For some reason, Akashi is unable to take his mind off of it.

_Do you think these events are related?_

They couldn’t possibly. Such an idea is out of the question. The chance is as slim as him losing in any competition.

He’s already visited Mayuzumi a day ago in the hospital, his somber teammates in tow. All of them had not enjoyed the visit, albeit he and Mibuchi hid their feelings better than the other two. He was even surprised that both Hayama and Nebuya had even agreed to go, though it was not unappreciated.

Kuroko would also have his many teammates go visit him, Akashi is sure of that.

Preparing himself for bed, he runs through his list of responsibilities for tomorrow in his head, already knowing that his schedule would be as packed as ever.

He would find time.

The only thing he can do now is wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was uncomfortably short for me, but it was either this or you guys having to wait like two months before another update and I really don’t wanna do that.  
> But fluff! Yay yay you guys deserve some fluff because I’ve just been dishin out pain lately hAHA.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awkwardness and sadness and partying. Brace yourselves.

Kuroko is finishing the last of his bread as he peers down at Mayuzumi in his lap, brushing his hand over Mayuzumi’s back and smoothing out his fur. He knows that soon the cat will turn back into a human, and a part of Kuroko can’t help but feel disappointed. He should feel happy that Mayuzumi will revert back to normal—especially since the other couldn’t have enjoyed being a cat—but it also means that there will be no more cute Mayuzumi, no more petting him, and no more carrying him around in his arms.

Well. Kuroko could try, but that would just be weird for the both of them.

He thinks that this disappointment may be because he’s so used to having Nigou tag along with him, that it’s so strange to not have to take care of a pet.

As of now, the duo has been traveling across the swamp for quite some time, drifting along without a clear destination in sight.

Mayuzumi has shown no sign of coming down from his high, still latched onto Kuroko and purring without a care in the world. Kuroko leisurely scratches a spot behind Mayuzumi’s ear, which he had discovered would elicit louder purrs than other spots.

Turning his head all around him, Kuroko admires the lush ecosystem as they travel. He draws in a deep, heavy breath of air, potent with the scent of algae and the earthy vegetation. Taking advantage of the peaceful moment, he takes this time to reflect upon just when he can wake up again. He should be fine in real life, but he wonders just how long he’s stayed asleep. Sleeping for too long can prove detrimental to his health, as Momoi had written in the notebook.

If by chance he has been sleeping for days, maybe even weeks, then he hopes that he won’t have worried his family and friends too much. He’d also want to immediately return to school so that he can apologize to coach before she lays waste to him, and he’s hospitalized for another week.

Kuroko involuntarily shivers.

But no use worrying over something he has no control over right now. If anything, he supposes that he’ll just make the best of it.

He’s realized so far, they’ve never come across any modern civilization. Certainly no crowded city with skyscrapers just mere blocks in between each other. He doesn’t have to face the daily hustle and bustle of Tokyo, with high paced, jam-packed streets filled with a sea of people and vehicles.

While these dreams have been anything but leisurely as of late, he does admit that in moments of peace like this, it provides him a sense of a laid-back and relaxed ease; which he uses to take a breather from his hectic daily life of going to school, practicing basketball, going home, and then doing it all over again.

He could definitely get used to living in a more rural area, and a swamp might be a place to keep in mind. Along with the refreshing scent of the air, he’s come across a wide range of biodiversity during his journey for the last bit, including even larger lotus flowers, and the varieties of foliage that decorate the vast swamp. Woodpeckers and other birds line the treetops, while insects dart through the air and skate across the water surface. The sounds of the occasional slosh of water from the fish, the croak of frogs, the chirrup of birds, and the trill of cicadas provide a nice amount of background noise.

He’s not so good at biology, but he thinks that he could take the time to learn if he could be this close to the natural world everyday.

Mayuzumi pulls Kuroko out of his thoughts as the cat rolls around in his lap, lying with his belly leaning against Kuroko’s thigh. He cranks his jaw open wide to yawn, revealing his canines. Laying his head upon Kuroko’s leg, he then goes to sleep.

Kuroko stares at Mayuzumi, suddenly growing discouraged for no apparent reason. Nothing should be wrong, but the feeling lingers.

He thinks about how these dreams are rather cruel, yet so very enjoyable as well. Here lies a cute cat that is not actually a cat, but a person he knows in real life. A person that he’s only met once, too.

Why Mayuzumi? Why not someone he knows better? There’s no valid reason as to why his brain persists in making him dream about the other. Nothing in these dreams quite make sense, but he knows that in the end it doesn’t matter if it makes sense or not.

Ah. He sees where this feeling is coming from. It’s surfacing just now when he has realized that all of his dreams might be coming to an end. But that comes as no surprise. It was only a matter of time that these feelings would sneak up on him.

It was an easy task to suppress it, but it will always remain at the back of his mind. The perpetual empty feeling that comes from knowing that this happiness is fake.

None of this matters. Not one bit.

An unexpected need to take Mayuzumi into his arms surges forward, but he leaves the sleeping cat where he is.

He’s looking forward to waking up, sure, but reality doesn’t have anyone who has shared any of his experiences in these much too lucid dreams. And even if he can share a few interesting stories, everyone wouldn’t think twice about telling him that it’s all in his head. He himself should believe it’s all in his head.

But most of all…

His stomach twists uncomfortably, like the bread had settled wrong.

_No_. He chases that miserable thought out quick, directing all his attention to moving forward.

He should forget about these dreams as soon as he wakes up.

* * *

Upon reaching the other side of the shore, Kuroko gathers Mayuzumi into his arms, and then lays the cat on his shoulder.

Trusting his intuition and maneuvering through some thick branches blocking the view to the cave, Kuroko comes to a stop in front of a partially concealed cave entrance. Long vines hang down in front of it, and plenty of foliage encircles the entrance, masking it from plain sight.

“Is this it?” Kuroko questions by some off chance that Mayuzumi will respond.

Mayuzumi just drums his tail on Kuroko’s backside.

Kuroko lifts his arm up and brushes aside the vines, taking a careful step inside.

They’re not even a few feet inside and Kuroko already has a hard time seeing the pathway in front of him. Nervous, he puts up a barrier around them, once again wishing that Mayuzumi were sober so that he could help navigate with his night vision.

Step by careful step, he proceeds further into the darkness with a guide too inebriated to even be helpful.

It’s quiet all throughout the cave, with the occasional sound of dripping water. Based upon that echoing sound alone, Kuroko believes that the cave is much larger than he originally thought. He’s only been walking in a straight line so far, but he could very likely get lost without any way to see his path.

He curses his lack of ability to produce light like Mayuzumi can.

After a minute of traveling, Kuroko begins to doubt if they’ve reached the correct spot. He knows it might not be the easiest journey, but shouldn’t there at least have been a sign of a spring by now?

Something that sounds like stone collides with something dull, making him freeze in his tracks and breath go still.

All he can think to do is _not move._

Mayuzumi on his shoulder remains laidback as ever, shifting his weight on Kuroko’s shoulder and continuing to drum his tail on Kuroko’s backside.

As if Mayuzumi had shattered the tension in Kuroko’s body, he feels his muscles loosen up a tad.

Right. Kuroko has Mayuzumi. As well as his own barrier. They’ll be fine. Just find the spring, and Mayuzumi will go back to normal.

He continues moving, not letting himself get sidetracked with any distractions.

His foot then kicks something solid in front of him, and Kuroko reaches his hand out to feel the rugged cave wall.

In the next moment, Kuroko is blinded as light fills his vision. Scrunching up his eyes briefly against the harsh light, he is then greeted with the sight of thousands of crystals embedded in the walls that shine bright enough to light up the whole cave.

He stands there marveling the crystals colored like the rainbow, too pretty and polished be to ever be found in the real world.

He nearly grabs Mayuzumi to demand that he give him a camera.

Kuroko forgets all about his goal and spends a few minutes just scrutinizing the crystals, which seem to change from color to color the longer he stares. Each crystal is unmarked by any blemishes, perfect in every aspect.

A paw bats at Kuroko’s outstretched arm, reminding him that he isn’t here to study these crystals, as much as he would like to.

Kuroko takes this as a sign that Mayuzumi is sobering up.

The cat leans away from Kuroko, rolling until he slowly slides off of Kuroko’s shoulder. Without a second thought, Kuroko catches Mayuzumi in his arms, his barrier disappearing.

Mayuzumi relaxes in Kuroko’s hold, and Kuroko realizes that Mayuzumi had intended for him to keep his attention on the cat only.

Definitely still drunk.

Kuroko gives him a congratulatory scratch behind the ear.

Continuing on his way, Kuroko begins to jog through the cave, his attention mainly directed on sightseeing as much as he can while still making progress towards his goal. He’s now confident that the spring shouldn’t be far off. If he remembers correctly, then their map says that this is their final destination.

After a while of nothing but traveling, Kuroko slows to a walk as the cave begins to open up and allow more room.

He’s about to lift Mayuzumi back up onto his shoulder, until without any warning, Mayuzumi leaps out of his hands.

“Wait!” Kuroko chases after Mayuzumi hightailing it away from him. They must be close.

Up ahead, Kuroko sees a clearing that Mayuzumi is heading towards, more expansive and slightly darker than the rest of the cave.

Not watching his step, Kuroko nearly slips on the wet stone steps at the clearing, wobbling in place before catching up to Mayuzumi.

The spring lies just a few paces away, the surface of it glimmering and clear even in the faint lighting.

He looks down towards Mayuzumi, who looks unsure of what to do from here and is staring down at his feet, still as a statue.

By the looks of it, Mayuzumi appears to doubt if he’ll actually return to normal upon entering the water.

But now that Kuroko thinks about it, the only advice given was to reach the lake in this cave. Nothing about needing to do anything else.

What does the other need to do? Drink the water? Bathe in it?

Kuroko reaches down and picks the cat up. Mayuzumi remains unresponsive, giving Kuroko a blank stare. With one last pat on the head, Kuroko carefully places Mayuzumi into the lake water and backs away.

Mayuzumi splashes around in the water, and then dives towards the deep end.

Panicking, Kuroko is about to go retrieve Mayuzumi from the water, until he hears what sounds like a huge bubble bursting, seeing a large puff of smoke exploding from the lake.

That can’t be good.

The smoke clears as Kuroko hears the sound of coughing, and human Mayuzumi stands there in the lake.

Naked.

It takes Kuroko much too long to process what he needs to before turning his head away almost by reflex. His body follows suit and swivels itself away from the other. An awkward feeling settles into his gut, and he only barely remembers to add, “…Please put some clothes on.”

And it takes too long for Mayuzumi’s head to clear, no longer subdued by the effects of the silver vine, before he finally utters out a very eloquent, “Shit.“

Talk about _awkward._

Kuroko waits as Mayuzumi splashes around behind him, distracting himself from the awkwardness by thinking about how he’ll miss playing with cat Mayuzumi and carrying him around. Soon, he hears the other step out of the water.

“You can turn around,” Mayuzumi says after a few more seconds.

With some hesitancy, Kuroko twists himself back around, seeing the other fully clothed in a plain black t-shirt and a pair of light colored basketball shorts, toweling his hair dry.

Mayuzumi then slings the towel over his shoulder, sighing as he rolls his neck and a loud pop results. He then moves onto his back, more popping ensuing. He continues stretching, still trying to organize his thoughts after spending the past bit high out of his mind.

First and foremost, one thing of importance is that they’re both still not awake.

He has next to no idea as to why this is the case, but if he had to guess, then it’d be because there’s nothing they can necessarily do to wake up. Just thinking about that possibility makes him exhausted, especially after trying to persevere this long. And when he thinks about it that way, Mayuzumi realizes that maybe they hadn’t needed to turn him back to normal, as much as he hates being a cat.

_Goddammit._ To whatever higher power controlling these dreams, Mayuzumi and Kuroko might as well appear to be chickens running around with their heads cut off.

It’s either that, or some cliché trope like how they have unfinished business here.

But Mayuzumi doubts that.

He turns his attention back to Kuroko standing there, who is trying to hide his somewhat upset expression.

“…What?” Mayuzumi asks, a bit bothered by Kuroko’s expression. Some lingering awkwardness?

Kuroko doesn’t respond, staring at nothing in general, while he remains slightly perturbed. Approaching the other, Mayuzumi throws the wet towel over Kuroko’s head, receiving a small sound of surprise from the other.

“What was that for?” Kuroko peels the towel off his head and hands it back to Mayuzumi.

“What the hell were you spacing out for?”

Kuroko fights his hesitation and ignores the tug at the back of his mind. “I was just thinking about how I’m sad that you’re no longer cute.”

Mayuzumi just shoots Kuroko a dirty look. At least awkwardness isn’t the issue. “Well I, for one, am glad that I’m not longer a cat.”

Kuroko feigns disappointment. “…I’m still sad.”

Mayuzumi rolls his eyes. “Oh boo-fucking-hoo. Cry me a river. If you’re done, then let’s get going.”

“Can’t you at least give me a cat stuffed animal?”

“Go pick up a rock or something. Use your imagination.”

“What about a crystal? Would it be okay if I took a shard?”

Mayuzumi squeezes his eyes shut while he pinches the bridge of his nose. “Does it look like I care?”

Kuroko stares straight into Mayuzumi’s exasperated eyes with his honest ones. “Yes,“ he says without any hesitation.

“Oh my fucking God,” Mayuzumi mutters under his breath. “Are you done? Because we need to go,” Mayuzumi grabs ahold of Kuroko’s arm.

“You don’t need to hold onto me,” Kuroko tries to shrug Mayuzumi off, but the other doesn’t relinquish his hold.

“We’re teleporting.”

“What—“

The space all around them warps and Kuroko feels himself losing all his sense of balance, before it’s over in the blink of an eye. He stands motionless, still regaining his balance.

“You could have warned me,” Kuroko accuses.

“I did.” Mayuzumi lets go of Kuroko’s arm.

Now it’s Kuroko’s turn to frown at the other. “How come you can teleport, but I can’t?”

“I don’t know. Sucks to be you.”

Suppressing an indignant huff, Kuroko observes their new environment. “Why are we back at the town?” Seems like they’ve been gone for quite a while. It’s a bit late in the afternoon.

“Look at the castle.”

Kuroko follows Mayuzumi’s line of sight and sees the white castle in the distance. The first thing he notices is the many decorations hung up near the entrances. If he squints, he can make out quite a few people making their way to and fro the entrances.

“If you haven’t woken up yet, it probably means that you have unfinished business here,” Mayuzumi surmises. He put extra care in wording that to make sure that he didn’t say _we_ instead of _you._

As much as Mayuzumi doesn’t believe that they’ve still got things to do here, he’ll believe it for the sake of persuading Kuroko to go do something worthwhile. Or at least have him do something while Mayuzumi can find time to read in peace. Normally, he would have left Kuroko to his own devices, but he needs to keep an eye on him. After all, Mayuzumi is the older one here, and Kuroko in nothing but a little kid that goes searching for trouble.

“Are you saying that we should go to the castle?”

“Yeah. Looks like some sort of event is going on.” Mayuzumi just hopes it’s some sort of performance and not something like a party.

“It’s a party.” Kuroko nearly reads Mayuzumi’s thoughts.

“How do you know?”

“I overheard the conversation between the two women over there.” Kuroko gestures to his right as Mayuzumi sneaks a glance.

The women nearby are engaged in an animated conversation, but begin to walk away from them before Mayuzumi can distinguish any part of their conversation.

Mayuzumi wants to believe that Kuroko is lying. There is not one inch of his being that wants to go attend a party, especially in a dream. But Kuroko wouldn’t be the type to lie right now, and Mayuzumi knows that the other is certain. So he goes with the only appropriate response .

“We are not going to attend any party.”

“But—”

“No.”

Kuroko stares hard at Mayuzumi, eyes reflecting defiance. Mayuzumi glares back with just as much opposition, neither of them blinking.

It’s not that Kuroko has a burning desire to go party. He’s fine with not going, but if Mayuzumi has to attend it because they need to stick together, then he’ll gladly take the trip to the castle.

Seeing an uncomfortable Mayuzumi in social situations is too good of an opportunity to pass up, after all.

Kuroko reminds himself that he needs to figure out how to trick Mayuzumi into giving him a camera.

They hold the stare down for a few more seconds, before Kuroko finally sighs in defeat, knowing that in this situation, he can’t win.

Mayuzumi relaxes as well, content that Kuroko has decided to listen. He about to suggest going somewhere else—

Until Kuroko instead turns away and takes off with no warning.

…

What a piece of _shit._

Mayuzumi has no choice but to chase after him.

* * *

“I fucking hate you.”

From his position behind a curtain, Mayuzumi isn’t able to see Kuroko’s expression, but he’s sure that he’d see the smallest trace of a smug smile forming.

“Are you ready, Mayuzumi-san?”

“I can’t believe you managed to do this,” Mayuzumi says instead of answering the other.

As of now, he’s in a large fitting room with a servant of the castle, receiving final touch ups for the outfit that he had been instructed (forced) to wear.

Honestly, he just wants to tell the person to fuck off so that he can book it out of the castle, but the rational part of his brain says that it wouldn’t be worth the trouble. Also that’d be rude, even for him.

Earlier, Kuroko ran all the way to the castle with Mayuzumi hot on his trail. That is, until Mayuzumi remembered that he could teleport.

He waited at the top of the steps to the castle entrances leisurely reading a light novel until Kuroko arrived, who was visibly fatigued after climbing the hundreds of stairs on top of running the whole journey.

Needless to say, Kuroko’s face was hilarious upon realizing what Mayuzumi did. Mayuzumi had to hide his laughter by turning his head away. Who knew that Kuroko was capable of looking so stupefied? Not him.

Oh, how the tables have turned.

Mayuzumi saw Kuroko’s hands balling into fists to stifle his frustration, and he wouldn’t be surprised if the other tried to punch him. Thankfully, the other wasn’t petty enough to do that.

But nevermind that. Mayuzumi recomposed himself, and then snatched the other’s arm to drag him back down the steps.

“Wait, Mayuzumi-san—”

“No means no. Don’t be a brat.” _Even though that’s impossible,_ Mayuzumi added as an afterthought.

“It will be fun,” Kuroko insisted, anchoring his feet against the steps to resist Mayuzumi’s pull.

“Goddammit, do I have to spell it out for you?” Mayuzumi yanked Kuroko by the back of his cloak to gain the upper hand, still careful enough that he won’t let Kuroko fall and crack his head open.

“Well,” Kuroko yanked his cloak back towards himself, “it would be a good experience for you.”

“What experience?” Mayuzumi tugged. “This won’t benefit us in any way.” They are _not_ going to attend any party, and that is _final_.

“Yes. It _will._ ” Tug.

“No. It _won’t_.” Tug.

“Let go of me.” Tug.

“Not.” Tug. “Unless you come with—”

“Can I help you two?”

Kuroko successfully tugged his cloak back from Mayuzumi, who slackened his grip in surprise and proceeded to lose his balance.

He met the floor with a painful grunt.

“Yes, thank you,” Kuroko ignored Mayuzumi in favor of turning to speak to the stranger, who appeared to be a guard of the castle preparing to usher guests in. “We’ve been told that there’s a party here tonight.”

The guard nodded. “Anyone is allowed to attend, but only formal attire is acceptable.”

“Mayuzumi-san.”

_“No.”_

“I’m sorry. We’ll be coming back later when we’re ready,” Kuroko bowed, and the guard followed suit.

Mayuzumi stood back up, brushing himself off. “I’m not changing either of us into formal wear.”

Kuroko remained persistent. “You’ll regret not going.”

Mayuzumi snorted. He was about to give a sarcastic reply, only for the guard cut in.

“Wait, you look familiar,” they pointed at Mayuzumi, a sliver of recognition in their eyes. “Are you by chance…”

Mayuzumi and Kuroko both glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes.

“The royal ambassador of our neighboring kingdom?”

Mayuzumi was about to express his firm denial, then got interrupted by Kuroko.

“Yes, he is,” Kuroko confirmed.

_What?!_ “No, I’m n—ow!” Mayuzumi got cut off by a harsh jab to his side.

“Mayuzumi-san is here on behalf of our kingdom,” Kuroko lied through his teeth. “We apologize for not being better prepared to attend this party.”

“Oh, that’s no issue,” the guard assured. “Come.” He motioned for them to follow him inside.

The glare that Mayuzumi fixed on Kuroko is so intense that he believed his eyes went bloodshot. This _motherfucker_.

Kuroko kept his gaze straight ahead without noticing Mayuzumi, but Mayuzumi swore he saw traces of mirth in Kuroko’s eyes.

And so that is how Mayuzumi has unwillingly ended up being fitted into a suit and tie despite his many insistences that he isn’t anyone rich or influential. Definitely not in real life, at least.

Fucking Kuroko.

He’ll have to remind himself to gut the brat later.

“There, done,” the servant steps back from pinning the white anemone boutonniere onto the suit’s lapel. “You’re lucky that we had suits ready to be tailored, sir. It’s not always that we have something prepared.”

Mayuzumi sure doesn’t feel lucky. He doesn’t particularly mind being fit into this white dress suit, but having to do it just to please others without bringing benefit to himself is what fucking sucks.

He would be polite and say thanks, but truth be told, he’d rather not bother when he doesn’t feel the slightest bit thankful.

The servant isn’t fazed by his lack of manners. They eye him from head to toe before nodding confidently to themself. “You’re ready.”

They throw back the curtains, revealing Kuroko standing there fiddling with his wrist cuffs, already properly fitted into his own white suit.

“You look nice, Mayuzumi-san.”

“No thanks to you.”

Kuroko just gives a ghost of a smile. He then extends his elbow out towards Mayuzumi. “Would you like to hold onto my arm?”

Mayuzumi doesn’t even spare Kuroko a response before he brushes aside to walk out the room.

Laughing silently to himself, Kuroko begins to follow after the other.

* * *

“It’s very fancy,” is Kuroko’s first remark upon entering the large ballroom. Every which way he looks, there’s something to admire.

Made completely of white marble, the room is adorned with accents of gold and clear crystal. A grand staircase lies across the room, its entrance blocked off by stanchions connected by a velvet rope. Kuroko suspects that it will be cleared later for the royal family to arrive. In the meantime, the guests are busying themselves by chatting amongst each other and helping themselves to the delicately prepared food. Many servants run around to distribute snacks or collect used platter, quick and efficient. A few musicians to the side are performing a classical piece in the background, providing a pleasant ambience for the evening.

Mayuzumi is too busy planning how he’ll avoid as many people as he can to pay attention to Kuroko, searching for any emergency exits or secluded spots. A few open doors leading to the balconies towards the back seem to be his best chance of remaining alone.

“At least try to enjoy yourself, Mayuzumi-san.” Kuroko watches Mayuzumi flick his eyes from spot to spot, figuring out the other’s motive easily.

“I will. By myself,” Mayuzumi walks off before he’s even finished with his sentence, heading for the tables filled with food.

Kuroko glances around at all the people while he tags along with Mayuzumi, already feeling somewhat out of place, but willing to try to blend in. More than anything though, he wants to push Mayuzumi to socialize as well.

He sees Mayuzumi go up to an attendant stationed near all the wine bottles, and then orders something before he gets a glass of red wine handed to him. His brows raise slightly in surprise as Mayuzumi makes his way back towards him.

“How do you know how to order?” Kuroko can’t help but ask.

“How else?” Mayuzumi takes a whiff of his drink. “By learning.”

“How did you learn?”

“Aren’t you a people watcher yourself?” Mayuzumi perks an eyebrow at Kuroko. “You seem to only watch people in order to read how they behave. But you can also learn how to conform and learn etiquette.” He takes his first sip.

Kuroko goes silent, taking Mayuzumi’s advice to heart. It’s not like he hasn’t done that, but he does tend to only watch others to apply it towards basketball.

Kuroko blinks, another thought occurring to him. “Aren’t you too young to drink?”

“Yeah, but nobody cares. Hell,” he rolls his eyes, “you should know that. And I need to be at least tipsy around these people.”

Kuroko just casts Mayuzumi a fleeting look of disapproval, and then moves on to getting some water for himself.

Mayuzumi maneuvers his way through the crowd, hoping that he can reach the other side where there’s more space.

“Ambassador Mayuzumi,” someone calls, and Mayuzumi just about forgets that he should respond to that.

“Hello,” he greets and bows, following good manners more out of habit. “It’s been awhile.” He straightens to see a middle aged man.

“Welcome.” The man bows as well. “I’m glad you could make it.” He smiles politely at him. Based upon the way that the man carries himself, Mayuzumi deduces that this guy is royalty apart of this kingdom.

“It’s a pleasure to be here,” he grits out, almost cringing at his lie. “How have things been going here since I was gone?” He hopes that his question is vague enough to not be a shot in the dark.

“It’s been wonderful here. There are some things I need to address, however…”

_Oh here we go._ _  
_Mayuzumi is able to tune the other out, knowing that whatever it is that he should be listening to is all worthless.

He notices Kuroko in the background over the shoulder of the man in front of him. From far away, he can’t quite tell, but he believes he sees amusement in the other’s expression.

The _fucker._

He quickly fixes his gaze back to the man, but not before he sees Kuroko getting tugged away by a girl with a look of shock plastered on his face.

_Serves the brat right._ He represses a smirk.

Still, that doesn’t solve the predicament he’s in right now. He has next to no idea how to shake this guy off. The man is listing off endless details that he could care less about, and all Mayuzumi knows how to do is smile politely and contribute some vague answer periodically.

“…me. So how are things going in your kingdom? Well, I hope?”

“Yes,” Mayuzumi confirms. This could be his chance to get away. “I’d be happy to tell you all about it,” he pauses, grabbing at the first lie that pops into his head, “but I have made plans to meet with an acquaintance of mine earlier. I’d like to not keep them waiting. Please excuse me.”

“Oh, well—my apologies. I hadn’t realized how long I’ve held you. Please, go ahead.”

Mayuzumi nods his thanks, and all but sprints away to one of the balconies, making sure that he gets lost in the crowd before reaching it.

He breathes a sigh of relief as he steps out, the cool night air alleviating his tension from the cramped crowd. How he survived that throng without spilling his drink, he doesn’t know.

At least he can now rest easier. Settling his arm on the railing, he makes a light novel materialize in front of him and begins reading.

* * *

Kuroko hadn’t known how it had happened. One second he was all by himself, and the next he was being pulled into the crowd and into a large group of teens like him.

Both females and males alike welcomed him, talking to him like old friends. It felt much like his group, at Seirin.

It’s only been what feels like a few days, but now he’s starting to miss them.

And speaking about friends…

He catches Mayuzumi standing at a balcony in his peripheral. Feeling that the other should join in on the party and not be all by his lonesome, Kuroko excuses himself from his new acquaintances to go grab Mayuzumi.

“Mayuzumi-san,” Kuroko calls as he steps out to the balcony.

Mayuzumi doesn’t show any sign of having heard him. Leaning against the balcony rails with an empty wine glass in one hand and an open light novel in the other, Mayuzumi appears to be too engrossed in reading to notice Kuroko. Upon walking up closer to the other, Kuroko instead sees that the other’s eyes are closed. Is the other feeling sleepy?

The light novel slips out of Mayuzumi’s hands and over the rail, and before Kuroko can make a move to catch it, it disappears into thin air.

“Before you ask, no, I’m not going back in there.” Mayuzumi peels his eyes open.

“You’re not going to try?” Kuroko places a hand on the railing, his body facing the view of a thick forest while he eyes Mayuzumi from the side. “I’m sure there are many people who would like to meet a royal ambassador,” he teases.

Mayuzumi feels his earlier anger rise again, but resolves to push it down when it’s not nearly as fierce as before. “I prefer it this way.”

While both Mayuzumi and Kuroko tend to keep to themselves, Kuroko knows that the reasons are different for the both of them. “Is it because you don’t like people?”  
“Not really.” Mayuzumi swirls the empty glass. “I’d just prefer to be alone right now.”

“Then am I being a bother?”

Mayuzumi doesn’t respond. On the outside, he appears to be ignoring Kuroko’s question. On the inside, he’s hesitating with his answer, because he was about to answer “ _no”_ without a second thought.

Instead, he answers, “Sort of.”

He can’t place just when it had happened. These accursed dreams have been nothing but hell for him, so he can’t explain how he came to tolerate the only person who consistently gets under his skin.

Since when had Kuroko become less of a nuisance to him? Since when did he start feeling like being beside Kuroko was something natural? Since when did he start enjoying Kuroko’s presence?

Mayuzumi has no answer.

And nothing could have prepared him for the next thing that Kuroko says.

“How does someone tell what’s reality and what’s a dream?”

That gets his attention quick.

Maybe it’s because he was lost in his thoughts that Kuroko had suddenly felt the need to fill the silence, but Mayuzumi thinks it may be more than that. It doesn’t sound like Kuroko has caught on to his lie. The other sounds almost unsure about himself, maybe _insecure._

“Sometimes,” Kuroko begins slowly, “I don’t believe all of this.”

Mayuzumi squints in confusion, yet his eyes are still trained out towards the forestry.

“I don’t believe that all of this can just be a dream. It seems much too real to me. Everything is much too vivid, even if not everything always makes sense.”

Mayuzumi does not like where this is going. His shoulders tense up subconsciously. He needs to pull Kuroko’s train of thought away from its inevitable destruction. “You’re overthinking it.”

“Maybe I am,” Kuroko admits. “It’s true that all of this has no point. But maybe that’s also why I’m sharing this now, when no one will hear me.”

_Goddammit._ Mayuzumi failed to avert the other, and he has a good idea as to where the other intends to go.

“One day, I’ll wake up, and it will all be gone. You won’t be in my dreams anymore, and I’ll soon forget all about you.”

With all the times that Kuroko has shown that he thinks ideally, it nearly catches Mayuzumi off guard with how realistic the other is now.

“But,” Kuroko pauses, as if it strained him to speak, “I _don’t_ want to forget about all this.”

Mayuzumi’s grip around the stem of the glass tightens.

“Sometimes I just wish it were…” Kuroko trails off, and then he turns his head to look at Mayuzumi, “reality.”

Mayuzumi feels his throat close up, an oncoming anxiety settling in his gut. He knew it. He knew that Kuroko would go down this route.

“I ask myself if the Mayuzumi-san that I know in my dreams is the Mayuzumi-san that I would know in real life. I’m not sure if you are someone who I should get along with, or if you are just a projection of what I _believe_ you would behave like. Why did my head choose to pick you, out of all the people I know?”

Mayuzumi has been asking himself the same question.

“I barely know you,” Kuroko says just above a whisper.

He could tell Kuroko now. He could tell Kuroko that he’s real, and he’s by no means a figment of Kuroko’s imagination. They wouldn’t have to forget about each other.

But he doesn’t. Mayuzumi doesn’t know whether it’s out of fear, or out of him believing that it’s not worth the effort.

He goes with the easiest way out. “Well, no matter what I say, it can just be misconstrued as you talking to yourself, as a manifestation of me.”

Kuroko smiles, the edges of his eyes crinkling in what could be a genuine smile.

If Mayuzumi were someone else, he may have missed the well concealed sadness in the other’s eyes. He feels some vague pang in his chest, but pretends to not notice.

They naturally lapse into silence. It doesn’t seem like Kuroko has anything else to add, so Mayuzumi can now relax.

The sound of a shoe clacking against the balcony’s floor cuts into their silence. “The dance is starting, Kuroko. Wanna come back inside?”

Kuroko perks up, glancing at his new acquaintance and then back at Mayuzumi, like he’s asking for permission.

“You don’t need my approval,” Mayuzumi dismisses.

Kuroko’s friend leads him back inside while Mayuzumi watches them go.

There’s a wide range of emotions that cross Kuroko’s expression as he spares one last glance over his shoulder at Mayuzumi. He’s smiling for that one moment, but all Mayuzumi can see is one distinct emotion in Kuroko’s eyes that he hasn’t come across before.

He almost misses it, but it’s definitely _longing_.

It’s there, and then it’s gone as Kuroko turns away to head back into the ballroom.

And Mayuzumi ignores it all the same.

* * *

“Kuroko, could you grab a drink for me?” asks a young lady who he had the pleasure of dancing with.

He nods, using the time to pause and to catch his breath from all the excitement. Immediately upon beginning the dance, he’s been swapped from person to person in a never ending waltz. While the experience is fun and all, the unfamiliarity with this situation saps too much energy out of him.

Grabbing two glasses of water and juice, he’s searching the crowd to return to his partner, and then hears a monotonous beeping in his ear.

He blinks as his vision becomes blurry, and he can’t be too sure if he has accidentally dropped the glasses. The beeping steadily grows louder in his ear.

And in the next second, his vision is consumed by white.

He’s overcome with a feeling of startled panic, his orientation shifted onto his back all of a sudden. It’s darker now, and he smells antiseptic all around him.

“Kuroko?”

He sees a white ceiling, and then the owner of the voice.

He blinks in shock. “Akashi-kun?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told myself I’d post it TODAY (even with work in the morn). I’ve been keeping you guys waiting for so long YET AGAIN. Hopefully this long ass chapter makes up for it.  
> As a heads up, I will be changing the title of this fic soon. Sometime in the next few chapters.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akashi basically becomes a main character.

“You’ve been asleep for just more than a week.”

Kuroko listens to the doctor intently while staring down at the cup of water in his hands, still trying to reconnect with reality.

“We don’t know if you need physical therapy, but since you’re an athlete, it’s unlikely. We just need to check your coordination and memories, and then you should be free to go.”

Kuroko looks back up at the doctor, nodding. “Thank you, doctor.”

The doctor smiles. “Of course. One question though, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Go ahead.”

“Based upon my understanding, you fell asleep about one week ago, and have only woken up now. Do you have an idea as to how this happened? I find this incredibly odd, as I didn’t find any physical trauma beforehand.”

Mulling it over in his head, Kuroko tries to remember if there was any event like that. His mind still feels fuzzy. “I...do remember that I hurt my head back about two months ago.” The only one was back during the Winter Cup. “I don’t know how this happened, though.”

The doctor stares at him through their glasses. “Nothing else?”

Kuroko shakes his head.

“All right. Thank you.” The doctor jots something down on their clipboard. “Now, before we can let your friend come back in, we need to go through a few checkups.”

Kuroko nods.

* * *

“Kuroko.” Akashi smiles as he enters the room.

“Hello again, Akashi-kun.”

Kuroko feels himself relaxing upon seeing the other. Akashi is the first familiar person he met since returning to reality, so of course he’s relieved to see him again. It’s like he has finally returned home, and he suspects that he’ll really feel so when he sees Seirin. He wasn’t even away from reality for long, but he guesses that being wrenched back has that effect.

“How are you feeling?” Akashi pulls up a chair next to the bed and sits down. “Did the checkups go well?”

“I'm fine, thank you.” Kuroko drinks the last bit of his water, struggling to keep his head clear. “I’m glad that I can still walk, even if I’m a bit shaky.”

“That’s good to hear.” Akashi takes the empty cup from Kuroko and places it on the table next to him. “I was quite shocked when I first heard that you were in the hospital.”

An apologetic smile makes its way on Kuroko’s face. “Thank you for coming all this way. I'm sorry that you had to come during school, when you're already so busy.”

“No, no. It was my own decision. And it’s a good opportunity to visit you again. Though,” Akashi looks amused. “I had not expected to witness you waking up right after I arrived.”

“Really?” Though he woke up feeling perfectly fine, Kuroko feels sleepiness gnaw at him. He definitely doesn’t want to go back to sleep so soon though. After all, Akashi went through the trouble of coming to Tokyo to visit him. “Maybe you woke me up from my slumber,” he just manages to add.

Akashi becomes puzzled. “Are you implying or referencing something?” he asks.

Kuroko mimics Akashi’s expression. “Hm? No, I don’t think I implied anything.”

“Nevermind then.” Akashi shakes his head with an easygoing smile. “Just some wishful thinking on my part.”

Kuroko tilts his head in confusion, but dismisses it. “Well, I am glad that I’m awake now. A week is quite a long time,” he says before he feels his eyelids fall shut, still fighting the urge to sleep.

“If you’re willing to share…” Akashi’s sentence dies, noticing how fatigued the other is. “Do you want to sleep for now? We can continue later.”

With a bit of trouble, Kuroko lifts his head back up to face Akashi. “Ah, no. I’m sorry, please continue.”

Akashi raises a brow, eyeing Kuroko like he doubts those words. Nevertheless, he acquiesces. “All right. If you’re sure.”

He laces his hands together and leans forward in his seat. “Tell me, Kuroko. How did you end up like this?”

Blinking a few times to rid himself of sleep, Kuroko then says, “I don’t know. All I can tell you is that I fell asleep, and woke up just now.” He turns his head to stare at the wall in front of him.

Surprise crosses Akashi’s expression. Strange. He was expecting an answer like an accident during basketball practice. He has never heard of anything like this. “So what you’re saying is that you went to sleep like normal, and woke up after a week.”

Kuroko nods.

Akashi goes silent, accepting the fact that this may all just be some unfortunate scenario that Kuroko wound up in, given that both he and the doctor have no leads.

“Um,” Kuroko hesitates, seemingly turning something over in his head. “Do you know if most people in comas dream in their sleep?”

Akashi blinks. “No. Not that I have heard of. Did you?”

“I did.”

Now this is even stranger. Akashi recalls that people shouldn’t be able to dream while in comas. “Could you tell me more about it?”

Kuroko picks out the most important details. “I’ve been dreaming the whole time that I was asleep. Or at least I think so. It was one long sequential dream, almost like I was still in reality.” He then huffs a small laugh. “You wouldn’t believe who I saw in the dream.”

The edge of Akashi’s lip curves slightly in a smile. “Try me.” He has a list of possible candidates, based upon Kuroko’s expression.

“It was Mayuzumi-san.”

_What?_

Akashi’s smile disappears, frozen as he then faces Kuroko with a look of disbelief. Had he heard right? He had predicted plenty of people, but Mayuzumi was not one of them.

Kuroko turns his attention back to Akashi when he receives no immediate reply. He knows that Akashi is not easily shaken. And it’s even harder to notice if he is even somewhat disconcerted, with his well-trained unflappable demeanor. So seeing him so visibly bothered is definitely off putting. “Is something wrong?”

Akashi smooths out his expression. “It’s nothing.” So what if Kuroko saw Mayuzumi? It’s not like these two who happen to be in a coma nearly at the same time are related. Sometimes coincidences happen. “You saw Mayuzumi-san. I take it that it was only brief?”

Kuroko blinks, still bothered by Akashi’s reaction. What would have caused the other to behave like that? “No, I was with him the whole time.” He rethinks that statement. “Actually, most of the time.”

“And what happened?”

Honestly, there’s too much to recount right now, so Kuroko tries to keep it short. “Various things. I spent what felt like a few days with him. For some reason, he was talking to me as a cat most of the time.”

Akashi straightens, and then leans back in his chair. Weird dream, but he has heard weirder. “Did you know that he was Mayuzumi-san the moment you saw him?”

Kuroko nods. “It’s not the first time that I have met him. I’ve already seen him many times in my dreams.” He peers around the room, searching. “Is there a calendar anywhere?”

Akashi fishes his phone out of his pocket. Flipping it open and pulling up the calendar, he then hands it to Kuroko.

“Thank you.” Kuroko studies the screen, noting that the date is late February. “I think these dreams began sometime early February. I’ve met him every time I’ve fallen asleep.”

“Every day? That sounds…” Akashi thinks back to when Mayuzumi had suddenly asked about  
Kuroko during practice not too long ago, “peculiar.”

“It is. I talked to Momoi-san about it before. She helped plenty, but we still didn’t come up with anything solid.” Kuroko flips the phone shut.

“Did you at least learn something?”

“She said that it might have to do with the accident during our match at the Winter Cup.”

Akashi perks up at that, remembering that it was one of the first events he experienced after switching back to his original self. “When you and Mayuzumi-san fell and hit your heads?”

Kuroko nods. “It’s our best guess.”

The phone in his hand starts vibrating all of a sudden, signifying an incoming call. He hands it back to Akashi.

“Ah, sorry about this. I’m sure this’ll only take a few seconds,” Akashi answers it, smiling as he greets his caller. “Mibuchi, how's everything over there?”

As he waits for Akashi, Kuroko tries to distract himself by staring at the walls and out the open window of the room.

“He has?” Akashi appears surprised, then quickly schools it back to normal. “That's good to hear. I'm still preoccupied over here, but I should be back soon. How is he doing, by the way?”

A nice breeze makes its way into the room, a gentle reminder to Kuroko that he’s safe now, in reality. Being away from the real world for so long has really made him miss his friends and family. Hopefully, they’ll arrive soon. He can’t help but glance towards the door in anticipation.

“Did the doctor say anything?”

Not that Akashi isn’t already good enough company already, but if he keeps dozing off, then at this rate...

“I see.”

Kuroko rubs at his eyes.

“No really, it’s fine, Mibuchi. He should rest. I can hear all of you through the phone, you know.”

That fails to help, and he yawns instead.

“Well, let's just hope for the best.”

He needs to stay awake. Akashi came all this way for him…

“Yes.”

His neck goes lax and his head drops down. Unwillingly, his eyes close once more.

“Yes. Thanks for the update. See you soon.” Akashi ends the call and tucks his phone away. “So, where were we—oh.”

He sees Kuroko already snoozing away, looking like a drooping flower with how he sits in place.

With a fond smile, Akashi rises out of his seat to lay the other’s head back against the pillow. Slowly, he lets his hand drop down to Kuroko’s forearm, allowing his hand to linger there before finally pulling away. He does want to catch up with the other more, but he supposes that all he can do for now is either wait or return later.

Still, he’s pressed for time. It’s likely that he won’t have any more time to spare if Kuroko plans to sleep the day away. He at least needs to make it back to Kyoto for afternoon practice.

He’s not so sure if Kuroko falling asleep again means that he’ll go into another coma, but he has a feeling that the other won’t.

If what he gathered from talking with Kuroko is all true, and he assumes correctly, then that would mean Mayuzumi would also lapse into another coma.

But that won’t happen. Akashi is sure of it.

* * *

Mayuzumi is not even fully awake yet, and his room is already in an uproar.

“We’ve got to notify Sei-chan!” Mibuchi looks ecstatic.

“Mayuzumi-san! You’re awake!” Hayama nearly jumps out of his seat.

Mayuzumi stares at nothing, pretending to be half-asleep and hoping that by some miracle, the doctor will come before he loses his sanity.

“How are you feeling?” Mibuchi whips his phone out, his fingers flying to the keys to call Akashi. “Sei-chan is in Tokyo right now,” he says as he lifts the phone up to his ear. “Had some business to tend to, but I’m sure he’ll be back to see you before you know it.”

It takes Mayuzumi a second, but he has a _very good_ guess as to why Akashi’s in Tokyo.

“Sei-chan! Mayuzumi-san has woken up! You’ve...”

The rest of Mibuchi’s conversation is lost to Mayuzumi as Nebuya reaches forward to smack him on the back, a big grin on his face. “Man! You had us all worried there.”

“So. So!” Hayama looks like he can’t contain himself. “Is it true that you entered a coma just by going to sleep one night?” Hayama asks right next to Mayuzumi’s face, who draws his head back.

Mayuzumi remembers that he needs to act out of the loop. It’s not like he should know that he’s been in a coma. Looking anywhere but at Hayama, he answers, “I guess.”

“Talk about weird!” Hayama flops back into his seat, his hands moving to clasp together behind his head. “You’re probably the only person in the world who’s this unlucky.”

That’s where Hayama is wrong. But _God,_ Mayuzumi has forgotten how loud and annoying his teammates are.

“I bet you lost a lotta muscle mass sleeping that much,” Nebuya points out. “You’ll need to eat like me if you want to get back in shape.”

“Nah, nah, Mayuzumi-san ain’t like you, Ei-chan.” Hayama waves his hand in a motion of denial.

“What? Still, it would help. If he wants to get better at basketball, that is.”

Hayama stares at the other like he’s stupid. “Did you not learn anything from the match with Teppei?”

The two continue to bicker back and forth, with Mayuzumi caught in the middle. He definitely has not missed this, but thank God that Mibuchi isn’t a part of it.

“Mayuzumi.”

 _Shit._ He thought too soon.

“You should speak with Sei-chan,” Mibuchi holds out his cellphone for Mayuzumi to take.

“No really, it’s fine, Mibuchi,” a voice comes from the speaker before Mayuzumi even makes a move to grab it.

At least Akashi has the decency to realize that he has no desire to talk mere minutes after waking up.

“You heard him,” Mayuzumi says.

With some uncertainty and a pout, Mibuchi retracts his arm, continuing his conversation.

It feels like it takes years, but finally the doctor comes around to his room and tells his teammates to shut up, which Mayuzumi is grateful for.

While his three teammates are being ushered out the room by the doctor, Mayuzumi begins thinking about how long he’ll be staying in the hospital, and if Akashi will be so quick to arrive. The spoiled brat should stay right in Tokyo and never come back. He’s sure that Kuroko would be happy about that too.

“Hello, Mayuzumi-kun. How are you feeling?” The doctor sits down.

“Fine, thanks.”

“I’m sure you’re plenty disoriented, especially after all that earlier. So I’ll keep this as short as I can.”

As the doctor runs through everything he needs to know and asks him some questions, Mayuzumi tries to ignore how tired he feels. No way in hell he’s going back to sleep so soon. At the very least, he should stay awake for a whole nother day.

“Before we begin your checkup, do you have any more questions?”

Mayuzumi hesitates. Now that the doctor mentions it...

“Who found me comatose? My parents?”

“Yes. Your parents found you sleeping in your apartment. You’re quite lucky, too. They went to your place after you weren’t answering the phone. We believe that you had already been sleeping for three days before they found you.”

“I see,” is his only remark. While there’s no such evidence of it in his expression, he is glad that they discovered him so soon. He doesn’t even want to think about the off chance that he was found later, or perhaps not at all.

“Based upon the circumstances, it’d be beneficial for you if you were to stay with your parents for a while. At least until you believe that this won’t happen again.”

“I’ll consider it.” He says that, but Mayuzumi knows that the main reason he lives alone is because his parent’s place is much too far from his school.

After going through the long process of all the checkups and finding nothing out of the ordinary, Mayuzumi finally has some time to himself to gather his bearings when the doctor exits.

That’s easier said than done though, with how sleepy he feels.

Goddammit. He will _not_ sleep. There’s no telling what will happen if he succumbs. In the best case, he would sleep dreamlessly and maybe wake up in a few hours. Worst case, he’ll see Kuroko again and get trapped in another coma.

Too risky. He needs to find a way to stay awake.

He pats at his pockets out of habit, searching for his cellphone. He isn’t surprised when he comes up empty handed.

Mibuchi had a cellphone, but he’s already left with the other two in tow. Mayuzumi curses his luck, but at least they’re gone now.

Well, fuck. He has no idea what to do. If he were still dreaming, he’d be pulling out a light novel to chase away his boredom. With nothing else to do, he lets his mind wander, thinking about if there’s any way to put an end to these dreams once and for all.

He’d like it if he could one day go to sleep and not have to deal with it anymore. That way he would never see Kuroko again, and no harm would be done. It’s too bad that there’s no easy way out of this.

He internally groans. He has enough problems to deal with already. If only he’d never started lucid dreaming in the first place. Or better yet, if the real Kuroko had never shown up in them, then maybe he could’ve still had some peace and quiet.

Wait.

His thoughts come to a screeching halt.

If Akashi is in Tokyo visiting Kuroko, and supposedly Kuroko had woken up at the same time that he did, then that means…

Mayuzumi’s eyes widen in alarm. Oh _fuck._

Akashi is going to suspect that their comas are related.

He’s especially going to believe so once he knows _how_ both of them ended up comatose. If Kuroko decides to share any details, then it’ll practically be set in stone.

Mayuzumi tsks. He can’t lie either. He’s already confirmed to Hayama about how it happened. And even if he hadn’t, it’s likely that Akashi would see straight through him.

How that kid does it, he doesn’t know. He has successfully lied to Kuroko up to this point, so he has to have _some_ skill in lying.

Then again, the truth is so preposterous that he’s surprised _he_ even believes it.

He can only pray that Akashi won’t try to convince Kuroko that their dreams are connected.

If anything, Mayuzumi can rely on the fact that Akashi doesn't know that Mayuzumi knows anything. He could likely feign ignorance. And he doesn’t think Akashi would be the type to immediately come to that conclusion without solid proof. The only method of getting proof would be impossible, so Mayuzumi believes he’s safe for now.

Still, he’ll have to be on guard.

* * *

When Kuroko regains consciousness, he isn’t back at the ballroom like he had expected. Instead, he’s still in his bed at the hospital, an empty seat beside him and an evening sunlight streaming through the windows.

It seemed like morning when he was last awake, so he’s probably slept the whole day away already.

This should still be reality, right? There’s no one around to reassure him, but he sure doesn’t want for this to be a dream.

The door to his room opens without any prior knock, startling him a bit.

His expression lights up. “Kagami-kun.”

The other looks just as elated. “Kuroko!” Hastily, Kagami makes his way over to sit down. “Hey, did you just wake up? Good timing, then. The whole team’s here to see you. And so is—”

“Tetsu-kun!”

Kagami shoots out of his seat, apparently having already anticipated Momoi hurtling through the door and diving into Kuroko’s arms.

Kuroko grunts from the impact as she buries her face in the crevice his neck. Her arms have him trapped in place, sticking to him like glue.

Almost as if by reflex, Kuroko lifts a hand up to pat Momoi’s head to soothe her. “I’m sorry to have worried you, Momoi-san.”

Awkwardly, Kagami glances towards the door, then back at the duo. When Kuroko looks up towards him, he mouths _be back,_ while gesturing with a thumb over his shoulder. He then slips out the door.

Kuroko hears Momoi sniffle and in turn, he begins patting her back. He feels genuinely guilty for making her fret, especially since this happened right after he had met up with her.

“You’re...you’ll be okay now, right?” Momoi’s hold tightens.

More than anything, Kuroko doesn’t want to lie. Not to Momoi. Not _ever_ again. But he’s not confident enough to tell her that he can’t promise that this won’t happen again.

“I’m not sure,” he admits. “But I do know that when I fell asleep earlier, I didn’t have that problem.”

“Did you dream again? During any point while you were in a coma?”

He nods. “At least for the majority of it.”

“Tetsu-kun.” Momoi looks serious as she pulls back from him, tears in her eyes while her hands grip him firmly on his shoulders. “I don’t want to assume anything, but I get the feeling that your coma is related to those dreams. If you could, then I want you to take the sleeping pills.”

He looks at her questioningly before he remembers the advice she had given him. Her reasoning sounds plausible, and he can’t let her worry. “All right.” He nods. “I’ll give it a try.”

“I’m glad…” Momoi wipes at her eyes. “We came rushing over when we had heard that you woke up.”

“We?” Kuroko asks.

She freezes with wide eyes, looking like she had just realized something. “Ah, where’s Dai-chan?” She backs off from Kuroko just in time for him to see the other visitor at the door.

“Aomine-kun,” he greets. “It’s nice to see you.”

“Been awhile, Tetsu.”

If even Aomine is here to visit him, then he must’ve really worried everyone. He can’t help but feel bad.

Aomine approaches the bed. “Got crazy bedhead as always.”

Kuroko reaches up to touch his hair, feeling it stick up like it always does. Now he realizes that he had met Akashi with his unkempt hair. Obviously Akashi hadn’t cared, but it’s still pretty embarrassing.

He hears some commotion right outside the door, before Kagami is pushed into the room by Riko, followed by Hyuga and Kiyoshi.

Kuroko brightens. “Hello, you three.”

“Kuroko-kun!” Riko beams at him. “You’re finally awake!

“Jeez, don’t just stop coming to school all of a sudden.” Hyuga appears worried, but overall just relieved.

“Well, it’s not his fault.” Kiyoshi says. “We were worried, though.”

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes. “Is the rest of Seirin here too?”

“Yeah. They’re just outside. All of us were raring to come after practice.” Kagami answers.

“Have you all been coming as one group?”

Hyuga shakes his head. “Not every time. Usually, we split up into smaller groups.”

“We can’t be scaring the doctors here everytime we come.” Kiyoshi laughs.

“How did all of you know?”

“Momoi-chan told me.” Riko says.

“And Akashi-kun told me.” Momoi supplies.

Akashi had done that? Kuroko will have to thank him when he gets the chance. “Did Akashi-kun already go home?”

Momoi hums in thought. “I’m not sure. He told me about you in the morning, so I think he did.”

“I see.” Kuroko hides his heavy disappointment. He regrets his choice to fall asleep again, since it’ll be a long while before he can see Akashi again.

“Are you feeling better?” Kiyoshi asks.

Kuroko nods. “I apologize for missing so much practice.”

“It’s been pretty different during practice this last week. You have a bigger presence than you’d think.” Hyuga admits.

“I bet you’re excited to get back to practicing, right?” Riko smiles at him.

Maybe not excited, but he’s definitely glad that he’s going back. “I look forward to it.”

“Good. Because as payback for making me worry, I’m doubling your regimen for the next week.”

“Eh?” He stares at her dumbstruck. “Wait, coach—”

Her expression becomes a bit evil. “You’d better prepare yourself!”

He deflates and resigns to his fate, already feeling the ache in his muscles.

* * *

“Sei-chan? You’re back already?” Mibuchi stops to stare at his captain with a basketball in his hand. “I thought that you’d be back by tomorrow at the earliest.”

Akashi walks into the gym, carrying a duffel bag while still donned in casual clothing.

He had said that he would take the shinkansen in the morning, so Mibuchi had assumed he’d return during night time with how long it takes to get from Kyoto to Tokyo.

“I took a plane back here. I would’ve liked to have stayed longer, but I don’t have that sort of luxury as of now. Did morning practice go well?”

Mibuchi thinks that it’s already plenty luxurious to come and go like that as if it were nothing. “Yeah. Everything went smoothly.”

“Glad to hear that.”

“One thing though.” Mibuchi glances behind him warily before leaning in closer to Akashi. “Is it okay for Mayuzumi to be practicing right now?”

Akashi looks past Mibuchi to see said person practicing away, as if he hadn’t just been released from the hospital.

How admirable. Still, that doesn’t mean Mayuzumi should be straining himself so soon.

“I’ll have a word with him after we get practice started.”

* * *

“Mayuzumi-san. Nice to see you back.” Akashi steps towards him. “Any reason why you’re not at home resting?”

Mayuzumi glances at the other while taking a swig from his water bottle. This better not be what he thinks it is. It’s nowhere near the end of practice for the day, but he figured that Akashi would have sought him out sooner or later. Best to get it over with.

“I feel fine. I don’t need more rest.” He caps his water bottle and sets it aside.

“You’re still pale,” Akashi points out.

“So what if I am?” He’ll be all better after some exercise.

Akashi perks a brow. “You’re strangely stubborn today.”

Mayuzumi rolls his eyes. “I think you’d be too if you were in a coma for a whole week.”

“You and I are different. You should be resting and not be here exerting yourself.”

Mayuzumi ignores that blatant insult to his endurance. “I’ll do what I want.”

Akashi had thought that Mayuzumi had a sound enough judgement to take care of himself, but now he guesses not.

Normally, Mayuzumi would’ve taken the chance to have some time off. It’s strange that he’d be willing to put forth more effort into practice. Especially since there’s no reason he’d need to continue practicing, given that he’s a third year. So why?

And then Akashi remembers Kuroko’s sleepiness.

That could possibly be connected to Mayuzumi as well.

If Mayuzumi is feeling sleepy like Kuroko was, then the best way to rid himself of fatigue is to exercise. And if their dreams really are related, then the reason why Mayuzumi’s here is because he doesn’t want to sleep.

“All right.” Akashi accepts Mayuzumi’s decision. “Then, are you busy after practice today?”

Oh God. Don’t tell him that Akashi wants to discuss this over tea or something. “No, but I’d rather get home.”

“Good then. I was just about to ask you if I could come over.”

_What._

Mayuzumi’s eyes narrow into both a glare and a look of bewilderment. “You’re kidding, _right?_ You should know by now that your jokes suck.”

The corner of Akashi’s lips tug downward into a frown at Mayuzumi’s flippant attitude. “I don’t think you’d like to lapse into another coma, would you? Exams are right around the corner, too.”

Oh yeah. Exams are a thing. With all of this torment he’s been through as of late, he’s almost forgotten. “So? What’s your point?”

“Let me go to your place for a few days so that I can keep an eye on you.”

What the _fuck._

“You want to come to my place and sleep there?” He’s incredulous. There’s no way that Akashi would _really_ do that.

“Think about it. Your parents were the ones who discovered you comatose after a few days—”

“Wait,” Mayuzumi interrupts him. “How the hell did you know that?”

“Mibuchi told me.”

Mayuzumi pauses to think that over. “Over the phone this morning?”

“Yeah.”

 _Shit._ Mayuzumi should’ve paid attention.

“I’m guessing that the doctor said for you to return to your parents’ home, but I doubt that you’d be willing. So at the very least, I should stay with you for a few days.”

“ _No_. Mind your own business.”

Akashi doesn’t back down. “It’s the only suitable solution.”

Mayuzumi can feel a headache coming on. “I’m not a kid. I can take care of myself.”

“Of course you’re not. Most kids don’t end up in the hospital when they go to sleep,” Akashi deadpans.

 _Wow._ That is _not_ how you convince someone to spend the night at their house.

“Look.” Mayuzumi wants nothing more than for this conversation to end. “It’s not going to happen again.”

“Who says it can’t happen again?”

Akashi’s got him there.

Mayuzumi sucks in a slow breath of air and then groans. “You’re just as persistent as that goddamn—” he cuts himself short. He can’t talk about Kuroko. Akashi will get suspicious, if he isn't already. “Whatever. The answer is still no.”

“Then how about I knock it down to two nights?” Akashi offers instead.

“Jesus _fu_ —” Mayuzumi purses his lips, blocking the incoming curse. “You’re not going to take _no_ for an answer, are you?”

“If everything seems to be fine tonight, then I’ll leave before noon tomorrow.”

Mayuzumi did not sign up for basketball to have a nosy as hell captain, but apparently life just loves to screw him over.

He’s going to regret this. “Fine. One time. That’s _it_ ,” he just about hisses.

Akashi smiles. “That’s all that I ask.”

* * *

A few hours after school has ended, Mayuzumi is now waiting for Akashi to arrive with a sense of unease. All through practice, he’s been dreading this whole ordeal. The only form of distraction he has is to read his novels, and just hope he’ll lose himself to the story instead of dreading the other’s arrival.

Maybe he should be studying for final exams, especially since he’s missed a lot of school, but he wouldn’t get much done when he’s this restless.

He’s been wanting to sleep for the whole day, but through sheer willpower, he’s kept himself awake. At least being this agitated will distract him from the urge to sleep.

He turns a page in his novel, and then hears the doorbell ring.

There’s a whole ten seconds spent just debating whether he should answer that, before he finally gets up to answer the door.

 _God._ He still can’t believe he agreed to this. He opens the door.

“Evening, Mayuzumi-san.”

Akashi has a small suitcase in one hand, and a jacket hanging over his other arm.

Without any reply, Mayuzumi opens the door wider and goes back to sit on the couch.

The other excuses himself as he slips off his shoes. With Mayuzumi’s lack of a greeting, Akashi is admittedly amazed when he notices the pair of slippers that had been set out for him.

So Mayuzumi _does_ know proper manners. Shocking.

Despite the fact that Mayuzumi mainly gives off vibes that says that he doesn’t care, his apartment shows that he takes care to clean it, with the occasional stray coffee mug or book set aside.

“Guest bedroom is on the right down the hallway.”

“Thank you.” Akashi pulls along his belongings to drop them off in the room. He passes by a bathroom on the left and a closed door on the right. At the end of the short hallway, there are bedrooms on both sides, the right one left ajar.

When he enters, he sees a twin sized bed and a desk. He sets everything down, and then returns back to the living room where Mayuzumi is.

He sits on the couch across from the other, seeing the other reading as always.

“Shouldn’t you be studying?” If Akashi had just woken up after a week, he’d be studying at every opportunity.

“Shouldn’t you not be bothering me?”

Mayuzumi can sense it. The feeling of Akashi staring him down. The judgement that practically emanates from the other. He’s yet again failed to meet Akashi’s standards, but it’s not like Akashi had expected for him to go above and beyond. Mayuzumi doesn’t give a shit, either.

“And I was just going to ask you for a cup of tea. But apparently even _that_ is too much.” Akashi teases.

 _Ugh_. It’s going to be a long night already, he can feel it. “I didn’t let you stay here in order to make you comfortable, obocchan.”

“Comfortable is one thing. You’re not even qualified for a decent rating.”

Mayuzumi’s tempted to flip the other off, but he keeps his hand on his novel.

After a few more moments, Akashi speaks again. “Do you have a spare key?”

Mayuzumi glares at the words on the page, having not anticipated yet another request from Akashi. “You’re only staying one night. Why would you need a spare key?”

“It could be two nights,” Akashi corrects. “And I’ll need it to get in and out of here, of course.

“I can just open the door for you. I won’t be going out this weekend.”

“I somehow doubt that you’d be willing to do that.”

Mayuzumi’s eyes flick up towards Akashi to stare at him briefly. He appears torn. Finally, he huffs a small sigh and snaps his novel shut. “Fine. I’ll give it to you.” He pushes himself out of his seat before disappearing into the hallway.

Truth be told, Akashi has no need for the key. It’s likely that he won’t stay for two nights, but he can’t be sure. He’ll just hold onto it for now.

Mayuzumi reappears in the room, throwing Akashi the key with no warning. Still, Akashi catches the key with no problem

“Thanks.”

“Now can you leave me alone?”

“One more thing.”

Mayuzumi stops himself from sitting back down, and prevents himself from sighing yet again. What is it _now_?

Akashi stands up as well and walks over to the other.

Mayuzumi stiffens, suspicious of Akashi. “What?”

“I was going to do this later, but I’ve run out of patience.” Akashi leans in closer, eyes narrowing to form an expression void of any humor. “Maybe I should be sorry about this, but I’m sure that you can handle it.”

“The hell are y—”

Both of Akashi’s hands grab ahold of Mayuzumi’s head on the sides. Staring straight into the others eyes, Mayuzumi has no time to react before he feels his forehead collide with Akashi’s in a brutal head-butt.

What the absolute _fuck._

His hands fail to fly up to his head to ease any pain before collapsing to the floor. He’s far too gone to even register if he’s groaning in pain, feeling only one step away from passing out. In those few seconds, he’s able to think about how much it would suck to begin dreaming after this. Any thought about Akashi’s condition is forgotten in its entirety.

Soon, he blacks out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: :) Shit hits the fan. We begin the real story now.
> 
> On another note, anyone want to guess what Akashi thought Kuroko was referencing? Ohohoho.
> 
> And how many of you thought I was gonna incorporate AkaMayu there? ;)
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More shit hits the fan.

After being released from the hospital in the late evening, Kuroko returns home with his family.

Seeing them again is rather similar to the times when he’d return home after training camps with his team. While he does enjoy all those hard weeks of training, he would feel too worn out if he never went back home for much needed recuperation. And even if training can go on for more than a week, he feels like his adventure while sleeping had lasted for months.

He plops himself into his desk chair, still a bit disoriented and unable to locate where exactly he’s left his schoolwork. Missing this much school at a time has really put a dent in his life, but he’s not going to let that deter him.

It’s nearly night time, but he supposes that a few extra hours past his normal bedtime wouldn’t hurt today.

He spots an unlabeled notebook left upon his desk, unable to place where he had gotten it from. Grabbing it and flipping to a random page, he immediately recalls that this was the notebook Momoi gave him.

Ah yes. Before he goes to sleep tonight, he should take some sleeping pills. No way he’s going back into a coma.

He catches himself before he can get distracted with the notebook, and decidedly pushes it aside in favor of focusing on his studies.

Finding that his books are in their rightful place in his bag, Kuroko fishes them out and begins studying for the night.

* * *

 

It’s hot.

Mayuzumi peels open his eyes, feeling the concrete floor pressed against his cheek. Great. Not even fully conscious yet and he’s already disliking this dream. All he can deduce in the pitch black darkness is that the air is hot and humid, as if he were in a sauna. He pushes himself off of the floor, wobbling to his feet.

He has no means of seeing, so he produces a lantern with a swish of his hand, lighting up the whole room.

The entirety of the room is made of solid concrete. In this room, there’s two entrances on opposite ends, leading to what appears to be more rooms made of concrete. With the copious amounts of steam around him, the setting reminds him somewhat of a dungeon exploration game.

His head throbs, reminding him of the reason why he’s dreaming again in the first place.

There’s no trace of Akashi, though. If Akashi had thought that the way to these dreams was through head trauma, then he had clearly thought wrong.

Mayuzumi can’t help but feel a bit of petty victory over that.

He walks forward to the next room, neither seeing nor hearing anything out of the ordinary. He takes that as a good sign. Hopefully, it means that Kuroko isn’t here either. He continues like this into each room, a bit unsettled by how he goes through room after room without any noticeable change.

At some point, he realizes that it’s getting brighter with each room he passes through. The final room leads him out towards what appears to be a well-lit area with large body of boiling hot water.

He peeks over the edge, but has no idea how deep it is. He’s rather sure that it’s deep enough to submerge him completely though. Regardless, it’s probably hot enough to burn upon contact, and he’s nowhere near willing to burn himself alive.

That is, until he spots something floating on the water.

Dread forms within his gut.

There’s a black gakuran on the surface of the water, floating aimlessly. He squints and looks down deeper through the steam, seeing a small figure at least twenty feet under.

That has to be Kuroko. The water blurs the figure, but that light blue hair is unmistakable.

Mayuzumi stands there, at a complete loss. Kuroko’s already so deep under, and Mayuzumi honestly has no goddamn impetus to go help. Some foreign emotion gnaws at him, prompting him to at least  _try_ and fish Kuroko out of the water. The lack of movement from Kuroko tells him that he might already be too late, however. No way could anyone survive in this water for more than a minute, they’d be boiled alive within seconds.

He’s not sure if he’s telling that to himself to make himself feel better, or to make him feel worse.

He remains standing there, weighing his choices. He could jump in and potentially boil himself in an attempt to save Kuroko, but would it be worth it? He could also just throw a rope tied to a weight and hope Kuroko will notice. Or, he could just simply ignore Kuroko and pretend like he never saw anything.

The last option is the most tempting, but that dread from earlier only builds upon genuinely thinking that. Does he help? Or is it too much trouble? He’s wasting time just standing here. He curses at himself for being indecisive in a time like this.

After what feels like an eternity of turning it over and over in his head, he decides that it’s most likely too late anyway. If that is Kuroko, then he was already dead from the start. He pushes the budding guilt away, convincing himself that he has no reason to feel responsible for this.

He hears rapid footsteps behind him, and then someone flies past him into the water.

Mayuzumi catches a brief glance in his peripheral, a familiar person with a head of red hair diving into the water.

Akashi plummets in, aiming straight for Kuroko in the water. The shock overrides Mayuzumi’s fear for Akashi, as he stares after him, paralyzed and helpless.

His shock ebbs away after a bit. And instead of first thinking about the fact that Akashi  _did_ , in fact, enter his dream, he thinks about the extent of Akashi’s chuunibyou. He’s only going to come up disappointed, if he’s going to come up  _at all._

Sure enough, within only about twenty seconds, Akashi returns back up to the water’s surface. He makes his way back to the ledge, pulling himself and Kuroko back out of the water.

Mayuzumi can’t even make himself look at Kuroko, having caught a glimpse of his severely burned up face. Is he even alive? It doesn’t seem like it, based upon the way he lies limp on the ground. Akashi is in much better condition, though his expression doesn’t hide the pain he’s in. He wrings out the water from his shirt, gritting his teeth from the burns against his hands.

A few tense moments pass as Mayuzumi is still beating himself up over not having done anything, before Akashi speaks.

“I hadn’t thought that you’d be this useless even in a dream.”

Mayuzumi flinches, feeling some of the  _other_ Akashi’s personality reflect in his voice. Instead of giving a flimsy excuse, Mayuzumi realizes something else important. He assembles the pieces together like a jigsaw, now figuring out the reason behind Akashi’s actions.

“You…you fucking  _knew_.” Mayuzumi’s expression grows hostile.

“No.” Akashi kneels down to lean Kuroko against the wall. “I didn’t.”

Mayuzumi’s angry expression twists into one of confusion.

“Just a lucky guess.” Akashi turns back around to face the other, glare in place.

Mayuzumi returns the glare with just as much ferocity. “Well, I’ve got to hand it to you. Even I wouldn’t have predicted that a kid like you would have risked severe injury on the slim chance of actually entering these dreams.”

“All that matters is that I succeeded. And now I have proof that you and Kuroko have been interacting in these dreams all this time. It seems like you have been taking advantage of this situation as well.”

“Taking advantage?  _Hardly._ I just happen to be smarter than the brat.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that you’re lying to him, am I right?”

Mayuzumi shrugs, appearing more relaxed than he’s actually feeling. “All right. But who wouldn’t? It’s not like the truth’s that easy to accept, and I’d doubt that you could be completely honest yourself in this situation.”

“Honest how?” Akashi gestures towards Kuroko. “Do you call  _that_ being honest?”

“Fuck off.” Mayuzumi pointedly avoids looking at Kuroko. “No one ever asked for you to meddle.”

“True, but when one of my friends is in danger, I naturally need to step in.”

Mayuzumi snorts. “Go ahead. It’s not like he’s even breathing anymore. And I had never wanted him here anyway.”

Akashi’s glare narrows, his voice gaining a darker edge to it. “Have you been putting him in danger like this each time?”

“What? Fuck no.” Mayuzumi’s offended by the very idea. “The brat does it himself. I’ve got nothing to do with it.”

“And yet you don’t  _help_?”

Mayuzumi’s almost dumbfounded from that. He’s beginning to think Akashi might be just as dumb as the brat. “Under what obligations am I to help him? I’m not his parent.”

Akashi’s reaching a similar state with the other, looking utterly speechless. He moves to speak, maybe something scathing like  _You might as well have just drowned him yourself_ , but decides against it.

“Fine,” is what he settles on, curt. He brushes a hand through his wet hair and moves it away from his eyes. “I’ll take care of the obligation that was yours from the beginning. You’ve never done well with responsibilities anyway.”

Mayuzumi staggers, eyeing Akashi carefully. “What do you mean?”

“You should know perfectly well, since this isn’t the first time.”

Something within Mayuzumi recognizes what Akashi’s saying, but every part of him is screaming to reject the accusation. “Like  _you’re_ one to talk. You’re the one with two personalities.”

“The difference is that I’m done running. You still insist on running away.”

Mayuzumi bristles and crosses the distances between them. Akashi doesn’t know  _shit_. “You think you fucking know  _me_?” he grabs ahold of Akashi by the collar.

“What?” Akashi asks, not even sparing a glance at the hand clutching at him, “Are you going to throw me back in there?”

Mayuzumi feels something nasty upon hearing those words, as if Akashi had predicted his exact line of thought. Truthfully, the idea hadn’t occurred to him, even if sounds like a rather good one. Akashi has always had a way of hitting sore spots and digging out the ugliest traits of Mayuzumi. He can feel the words burn holes within him, further adding fuel to the flame. Akashi’s expression says it all. He’s got Mayuzumi right where he wants him. Mayuzumi feels every part of his body constrict because of Akashi’s glower that transfixes him. His vision is swimming. His heart beats unpleasantly in his throat. Even if Mayuzumi tries, he wouldn’t have a chance to escape if his determination can’t even surpass Kuroko’s. He can’t escape those words that sear his very conscience and sanity. Those words that ensnare him and leave him immobilized. Those words that hit even harsher than Akashi’s decision to not sub Mayuzumi out during the finals of the Winter Cup.

 _Those words_ that tell Mayuzumi that Akashi has lost all hope in him.

Bile rises in Mayuzumi’s throat. Affronted, Mayuzumi snarls. He digs his nails into Akashi’s shirt, and with each passing moment, he becomes less and less of the cool, aloof character he once was.

Who the  _fuck_ does Akashi think he is?

“Oh,” Mayuzumi is impressed with how level his voice sounds, “I could. I could  _definitely_ throw you back into that boiling water,” he huffs a heartless laugh, “Maybe even chuck the brat back in there while I’m at it.”

Akashi’s face remains impassive. “Really?” is all he asks.

Casual. His expression. His posture. His voice.

_All so infuriatingly casual._

 Mayuzumi wants to  _spit_ into his face.

“I’d like to see you try.”

In one second, Akashi has a hand upon Mayuzumi’s shoulder, and in the next, Mayuzumi’s loses all of his footing and is being forced onto the ground.

Plain, unadulterated  _shock_ reflects upon Mayuzumi’s expression, feeling like Akashi had just made him prostrate willingly with a wave of his hand, which is essentially what had happened. Mayuzumi has long forgotten that skill of Akashi’s.

His nostrils flare in his rage, humiliated. He retaliates by swinging his leg out, attempting to trip Akashi to the ground as well. The other backs away with no trouble, glaring down at Mayuzumi.

“I’ve seen all that I needed to know here. I’ll make sure that you and Kuroko never meet again.”

Mayuzumi snorts. Good. He then pushes himself up off the ground to stand. He’s beyond relieved. _Ecstatic_ , even. It’ll take a huge workload off of him, and he can go back to dreaming peacefully.

He keeps telling that to himself even as Akashi picks Kuroko’s unconscious form up. Akashi spares him one last glance, filled with something heavy. They both disappear in the blink of an eye.

He doesn’t regret what he’s done. It’s not his responsibility in the first place. There’s no reason for him to have an ounce of care for Kuroko, because it’s not like these dreams matter anyway. He doesn’t care, even when his palpitating heart begins to hurt a bit too much for his liking.

Mayuzumi walks over to the wall and leans against it, drawing deep breaths in to quell the rapid beating of his heart. He rubs a hand over his face right as his head throbs, and heaves a heavy sigh.

* * *

 

Kuroko wakes from a peaceful slumber. He sits up in his bed, stretching and feeling revitalized. Besides when he was resting at the hospital yesterday, he can’t seem to recall the last time he had slept this well.

Before heading to bed last night, he had remembered to take a pill to sleep deeper, and it seems that it worked. No lucid dream. Now all he has to do is keep this pattern up. He decides that he’ll continue to take them until he runs out, and then see if his dreams have returned to normal by then.

He pushes the covers away and swings his legs out of bed. At that moment, his cellphone vibrates on his desk. He grabs it and flips it open, wondering why he’d receive a notification on a day off from school.

It’s a new message from Akashi.

He opens up the message, sleep still plaguing him as he reads. He rereads it once or twice before it really sinks in, and his expression morphs into disbelief at the words on the screen.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh here it goes, here it goes again...  
> I kicked my own ass.  
> This is short but the next one will be out v soon promise promise u3u it's already ~80% done


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A turning point.

As Kuroko continues to study for the rest of the day, his mind keeps on straying back towards the message Akashi had sent him. Every fiber of Kuroko’s being wants to deny any truth in that message. Akashi’s claim  _has_  to be false, because it’s too ridiculous.

He knows better, though. He should trust Akashi’s words, since he’s not the type to be pulling Kuroko’s leg like this. Although, he does wish that Akashi were just joking. Even now, hours after reading that message, he has a hard time wrapping his head around it.

From the most enjoyable moments to the most nerve-wracking, Mayuzumi has been with him through every dream. And because Mayuzumi had kept it from him, it might mean that Mayuzumi had intentionally trapped him in these dreams. It might mean that Mayuzumi had wanted to put him through dangerous situations. It might mean that Mayuzumi had wanted to keep him asleep for a week, maybe even longer.

He doesn’t want to believe any of those reasons, but he can’t help it. He can hardly even say he knows Mayuzumi.

He focuses on the words in his textbook, getting more distracted the more he thinks about any ill will behind Mayuzumi’s actions. He somewhat convinces himself that none of the reasons could possibly be true. He flips the textbook closed.

After studying his morning and afternoon away, Kuroko finds himself losing steam. He’s memorized too much about science and math and now he’s itching for a break.

Stretching in his seat, he contemplates falling asleep now and confronting Mayuzumi as soon as he can. He’s both somewhat fearful and somewhat determined to hear the truth from the other, to confirm everything once and for all. Still, falling asleep now would do him no good. Not only would he not meet Mayuzumi, but he’d ruin his sleep schedule.

He squeezes his eyes shut as he yawns. No good, he’ll fall asleep at this rate. He’s got to get his blood flowing.

Exiting his room, he tells his parents he’ll be back soon as he grabs his jacket and basketball before heading out the door.

* * *

Akashi was already gone when Mayuzumi managed to wake up at some ungodly hour in the morning. His head is throbbing, and he can feel a huge bruise on his forehead forming. There’s no trace of other, and neither his stuff.

He’s half convinced that Akashi had only carried that suitcase for show, and hadn’t actually filled it with any of his belongings. It takes him a moment to reorient himself and ignore the pounding in his head.

The spare key has been left on the coffee table, and the slippers placed back into their proper spot.

Mayuzumi takes a deep breath, placating himself after how angry last night made him.

 _Let me keep an eye on you_ ,  _my ass,_ he thinks. Akashi fucking tricked him. He had planned this sequence of events from the beginning. And now that Mayuzumi thinks about it, Kuroko was probably also planted in his dream last night. After all, Akashi disappeared with Kuroko in hand, so it’s highly unlikely that Kuroko was the  _real_  Kuroko.

He stares down the spare key on his coffee table, feeling his temper rise by the second.  _Fuck Akashi._ He snatches the key up, gripping it in his fist tightly while suppressing the urge to chuck it across his entire apartment in anger. Instead, he returns the key back into the drawer of his bedroom, staring at the imprints left from the key on his hand.

He wonders if Akashi will tell Kuroko, and if the brat will do something about it.

He shakes his head, nearly scoffing at himself before immediately regretting it with how dizzy the movement makes him.

Of course Akashi will tell. He’s seen how shitty Mayuzumi treats Kuroko, so why wouldn’t he? It’d be too stupid of a move  _not_ totell.

Of  _fucking_  course Akashi had to be meddlesome. Just right when Mayuzumi thought that he could ignore the brat and let the dreams die, Akashi had to shove his nose right into it, throwing everything into disarray. Now the brat is going to want answers, one way or another. He’s persistent enough normally; Mayuzumi doesn’t need him hounding his ass in real life too.

Akashi had better keep his goddamn word, otherwise Mayuzumi will need to deal with two nuisances rather than none.

Mayuzumi had  _better_  not see Kuroko tonight.

He collapses onto his bed, holding his head in pain while trying to remember if he has any pain medication stashed somewhere in his apartment.

* * *

It’s right around Kuroko’s bedtime, and he’s got school to attend tomorrow. Despite his earlier determination, he’s not so adamant now about confronting Mayuzumi tonight. After turning it over in his head while shooting some hoops, he’s nearly become sick with apprehension. He’s staring at the bottle of sleeping pills, ready to uncap it and pop one into his mouth. One more night of avoiding dreams wouldn’t hurt, right? It’s clear to him that he’s emotionally unstable right now, and for good reason. He hasn’t felt unnerved like this for a long time, where he needs to reassure himself just to move forward and resolve problems.

He breathes in deeply, putting the bottle back into the cabinet and shutting the door so that he can’t chicken out.

Getting ready for bed, he attempts to quell his nerves by focusing on his breathing. He won’t be able to even fall asleep if he can’t calm down, but his hands won’t stop trembling.

It’s no big deal. He has pretty much done this every day for the past few weeks. It’s just Mayuzumi.

He lies down in bed, clenching his hands over the blanket as he tries to breathe evenly.

It takes him awhile to completely calm down, but eventually he finds himself opening his eyes to a clear view of the blue sky atop what appears to be a school rooftop.

His eyes land on the familiar figure of Mayuzumi in the distance towards the railings of the rooftop, facing away from him. He is sure that this is meant to be Rakuzan’s rooftop.

Putting one foot forward, Kuroko halts in place upon seeing that Mayuzumi hasn’t noticed him. He finds himself getting cold feet before he even begins, eyes straying down towards the ground. He spends too long stuck in place like that, doubting his will and decision. He can feel his earlier anxiety arise, locking him in place. Why is he so nervous about clearing this up? It’s not like he’s under the real threat of injury here. Forcing himself out of his wavering confidence, he swallows thickly and directs his gaze towards the other. It takes much too long to tell himself that he can do this, as told by the sweat he feels on his hands when he unclenches them.

He approaches calmly, gathering up courage with each step. Beginning to feel more confident, he calls out the other’s name.

“Mayuzumi-san.”

It comes out weaker than intended, but he doesn’t back down.

Mayuzumi turns to face him, using his back to lean against the railing while regarding Kuroko with an indecipherable look.

Looking at Mayuzumi with a renewed sense of the situation seems to be backfiring for Kuroko right now. He feels like he’s reading too much into Mayuzumi’s expression, and yet at the same time he feels like he can’t discern anything.

Kuroko gulps, finding himself at a loss for words. Everything up until now, every last event, every moment they’ve spent…

Sweat accumulates on Kuroko’s temple. He does not like the way that Mayuzumi stares him down. Or maybe he’s so nervous that he’s misinterpreting the other’s expression.

Mayuzumi regards Kuroko carefully, scrutinizing his every move while trying to school his expression into something lackadaisical.

Kuroko’s usually blank demeanor exudes nervousness now. And that says all that Mayuzumi needs to know.

He’ll start it off by playing it safe.

“I thought you weren’t coming back here.”

It takes Kuroko a moment amidst his agitated state to even begin to comprehend the other, and yet he only feels more lost with the question. Somehow, he manages to not stumble over his words. “What do you mean?”

“Akashi had told me you weren’t, and he usually keeps his word.” Mayuzumi shakes his head, already finding this situation cumbersome and unnecessary. Akashi was  _supposed_ to prevent the brat from coming back. He was looking forward to finally never seeing Kuroko again, but apparently Akashi can’t do his job right.

Kuroko just stares, completely bewildered. “I have no idea what you mean.” He thinks about what Mayuzumi revealed, and all Kuroko can pull out from it is that Akashi confronted Mayuzumi, thus leading to Akashi uncovering the truth.

Mayuzumi lets some of the anger from being deceived trickle into his voice, “You know what you’re here for. Get to the _point_.”

Kuroko nearly flinches, but his rigid form keeps him locked still. Akashi may have uncovered the truth, but it seems that Mayuzumi also knows that he did so.

Kuroko reminds himself that all he seeks are answers. He needs to do this. It’s now or never.

“You know that I know now…about all those dreams that I had— _we had,”_  he trails off after correcting himself, having not prepared his words too well, “did we really experience the same dreams?” He needs to hear it from Mayuzumi himself.

Mayuzumi stares, looking like he couldn’t be more bored out of his mind. After a few moments of just staring straight at Kuroko, he settles with, “Yeah.”

The moment he says that, his temple throbs painfully. His jaw tightens in a vain attempt to ease it. He had thought the medication was working, but apparently his dreams just won’t give him a break.

“How—how long exactly have you known?” There has to be a mistake, because Kuroko shouldn’t feel this double-crossed. He’s already had time to digest it. He doesn’t know why he can’t accept it. He had thought that hearing it from Mayuzumi himself would have left him with some finality, but his gut only wrenches more. Mayuzumi can’t possibly _—can’t be—_ the real thing. It’s unthinkable. It’s beyond impossible. Kuroko knows that this has to just be a nightmare, and nothing more.

Mayuzumi continues to look uncaring. He stares at Kuroko, but almost appears to be staring straight through him. He stands there like that for another solid minute, setting Kuroko on edge.

“Why did you keep this from me?” Kuroko prompts further. Normally he can be patient enough and wait as he receives an answer, but it’s almost tortuous for him now.

Mayuzumi’s poker face betrays nothing, and it seems that he can keep this up as long as Kuroko persists.

Kuroko’s confidence falters as the silence continues, suffocating the both of them. Mayuzumi continues to refuse to say anything. Both stand motionless, one waiting for something to occur, the other waiting it out. Kuroko just wants Mayuzumi to make a move, and yet the other continues to endure the heavy silence. An unstoppable force versus an immovable object, caught in a stalemate.

Kuroko can’t recall the last time he’s been this anxious for a reply.

Finally, the other speaks.

“None of that matters,” Mayuzumi dodges the issue, the throbbing in his head now dull and only uncomfortable at most. He turns his head away, seemingly to show how uncaring he is.

Kuroko’s mouth presses into a thin line, trying to stifle the turmoil of feelings that threaten to leak out. His earlier pessimism about Mayuzumi’s behavior resurfaces for the briefest of moments.

This is far from okay. The way Mayuzumi replied to him, it confirms everything. Kuroko feels an indescribable amount of betrayal, anguish, and bitterness all jumbled together, but all he can manage is a weak glare. He wants to say more, no— _demand more._ Why doesn’t the other answer? How had this happen? Did Mayuzumi plan this all along? Why didn’t Kuroko realize this sooner? Why did everything end up like this? Why, why, _why—_

He feels trapped, despite being the one trying to trap Mayuzumi.

Kuroko trembles. He inhales, trying to regain his lost ambition. He’d call it a success, but not with the way he grows aggravated.

“What does matter,” Mayuzumi pushes himself off the railing to stand straighter, “is that I would’ve gotten away with lying, had Akashi not revealed it.” His temper rises upon thinking back to Akashi, but he continues to reassure himself that he has this under control. “You weren’t supposed to find out, but it’s whatever.”

So Mayuzumi had never planned to reveal it to Kuroko. And _what_? Would he have just continued with the lie for forever? “Why then, why didn’t you want me to find out? Was it just so—” he cuts himself off, knowing that he’s getting too swept up in his emotions.  _Was it so that you could continue laughing at my ignorance?_

“Because it would’ve resulted in  _this._ ” Mayuzumi gestures with his chin towards Kuroko.

Kuroko doesn’t appear to understand, his confused expression edging more towards a fierce glare each passing second. It’s getting harder to be patient. “What?”

“You. Demanding answers. You. Bothering me and being a persistent little shit. It’s more trouble than it’s worth,” Mayuzumi just about hisses out that last part, his bitter resentment for both the situation and Kuroko rising sharply like a rubber band snapping into place. “ _You’re_ more trouble than it’s worth.”

There’s nothing new about Mayuzumi’s opinion about Kuroko, but his words still feel too much like getting splashed with ice water. For as long as Kuroko can remember, he’s always been able to brush off insults directed towards himself like nothing. He can’t remember the last time he’s taken personal offense to being insulted this easily, and if he weren’t so already fed up with the other, he might’ve been able to step away and tell himself that he could be the better person; that he’s just a sleeping pill away from never having to see Mayuzumi again.

But he doesn’t, and he exemplifies exactly what Mayuzumi wanted to avoid. “I just want answers, Mayuzumi-san,” he struggles to keep his voice even, “I won’t leave until you shed some light on this situation between us.”

 _How presumptuous._  “You think I care?” Mayuzumi snaps. “You think I’d be willing enoughto answer yourstupid _questions_? Oh,  _of course_. I’d be  _honored_  to,” he rolls his eyes. “Even if you had all the patience in the world, you would never get an answer from me. You’re fucking lucky that I even spared some time to talk you like this.” His expression has twisted into a nasty scowl. “I could choose to rain hell down upon you, or I could completely ignore you. But either way, you get  _nothing_  from me _._ ”

Kuroko grimaces, having expected an answer like that. Still, it doesn’t make him any less infuriated. Ignoring the tight, nauseating feeling in his chest and anger pooling within his gut, he takes a steady breath to quell the nervousness that builds too quickly for his liking. “Don’t you think,” he nervously wets his lips, and finds that he can’t keep his gaze trained on the other, “don’t you think that you’re being unfair?”

“What, you thought that I was fair from the get-go?” Mayuzumi sneers. At Kuroko’s indignant glare up at him, he continues. “You say that like I owe you something.”

 _You do,_  Kuroko wants to scream, until his voice is raw and hurting. “It’s not  _my_  fault that I didn’t know better, Mayuzumi-san,” is what he grits out instead. Maybe if the other had fessed up sooner, they wouldn’t have to be in this argument. Maybe they both wouldn’t have had to been in a coma for a week.  _Maybe_  they could have even worked together to fix the problem.

“So what? You’re saying it’s  _my_  fault?”

“I never said that—”

“You know what? It doesn’t fucking matter,” Mayuzumi interrupts, his headache now more intense than before, “whether it was intentional or not doesn’t change the fact that you’re a pesky little brat who’s been an annoying  _thorn_  in my side since day one.” Mayuzumi huffs a sharp laugh, and he steps closer to the other. “ _You’re_  the one who came here after me,” he stabs his pointer finger at the other with each emphasized word. “ _You’re_  the intruder.  _You’re_  the one who encroached on  _my_  fucking privacy. I had already been dreaming for a while before  _you_ showed your sorry ass here, which means it’s  _your fault,_ ” his anger rises, and his scowl deepens.

Kuroko looks appalled, so enraged that he’s trembling and fumbling with his words. “How— _What_ —This is not my fault, Mayuzumi-san,” he stops to gather his disorganized thoughts, “you left me in the dark this whole time, and you still don’t care to clue me in, so how could it be  _my_   _fault?_ Why are you blaming me for something that  _you_  should have told me earlier about?”

“Didn’t you hear me?” Mayuzumi clenches his fists and digs his nails into his palm, “I don’t owe you  _anything,_ ” he presses on, his anger continuing to flare. “You coming here is the  _last_ thing I could ever want, and I’ve been trying to drive you out of here since ever since you  _showed up._ ” Mayuzumi faintly registers that he’s only spilling half lies through his tirade. Not all of what he’s saying does he fully agree with, but he’s letting his rage do all the work now. The fury is bubbling over, and he can’t find it in himself to stop.

“Sure, I hadn’t known at the start that you happened to be dreaming the same dream as me, but it was easy enough to find out,” he shrugs offhandedly. “I had known that you were always an  _idiot_ , but never to this extent of stupidity, where it took Akashi’s guidance in order to make you realize anything. You’re a  _dumbass_. It was so  _easy_  playing you for a fool this whole fucking time. And after everything? I now know that all because of a  _fucking_  head injury that wasn’t even  _my_   _fault_  caused this whole tiresome ordeal. I now know that I went comatose for a whole goddamn week because of  _you_ , and I still know you’re an insufferable little piece of  _shit_  that I  _hate_ ,” he bites out, finally finishing his rant. He heaves after exhausting all of his pent up fury that has been building up since the day they met.

Mayuzumi doesn’t know what he expected as a reaction, but he certainly doesn’t expect for Kuroko to punch him across the face.

It’s jarring, to say the least.

Kuroko waits briefly until Mayuzumi shakes off the pain and affixes him with a menacing glare until he speaks, “I only came to get some questions answers, and I thought that you could have been reasonable, but I guess I thought wrong.” His voice wobbles and it frustrates him. He can’t help it. Kuroko is furious, but he can’t help the way that most of that fury has already turned into misery. The beginnings of tears prick at his eyes. He presses his lips into a line, and finally the betrayal and hurt settle in his gut like sediment. “Maybe if you had been a better person, we both could’ve walked away from  _this,_ ” he gestures with his hands, “we could’ve both been happy if you hadn’t been—”

A jerk. A prick. An asshole. Awful. Despicable. The lowest of the low. The absolute  _worst._

Mayuzumi knows he’s all of these things, and Kuroko should  _hate_ him for everything he’s said and done. But strangely, he doesn’t want to bear the weight of those words coming from Kuroko himself. So he doesn’t let Kuroko finish his sentence, already reaching his hands forward and shoving Kuroko towards the wall, but doesn’t move to pin him in place.

“You just don’t quit, do you?” he snarls. “What does it take for you to  _give up_  and  _leave_?”

“I  _won’t_  leave,” Kuroko snaps back at him. “Why are you avoiding all my questions? Why is it so hard for you to just answer me?”

Mayuzumi glares unblinkingly at Kuroko, who glares back with a fury that parallels his own.

He hadn’t realized it through his rage, but the stabbing of pain in his head is impossible to ignore now. The migraine is worsening, and Mayuzumi doesn’t know how long he has till his head splits itself apart.

Something clicks in Kuroko’s expression, like he’s finally connected all the dots. “You…are you scared of telling me? Scared of what I might think and ruining this—”

“Shut  _up_.”

There’s no hesitation in the way Mayuzumi brings his leg up, and before Kuroko can move to escape, he crushes his heel into Kuroko’s abdomen, ripping a choked sound of surprise out of the other.

“Mayuzumi-s—?” Kuroko’s wheezes, but is then sharply cut off when Mayuzumi delivers a punch across his face.

Mayuzumi is not a violent person by any means. In fact, he’d even say that he doesn’t even get angry often. Irritated,  _yes_ —rather often, but not full blown  _rage_.

He hates anger. Anger is loud and anger attracts attention. Anger comes from being  _around_   _others._

Mayuzumi almost isn’t able to believe what he’s doing himself. There’s a part of him that is shouting at himself to stop, but that teensy tiny doubt is stamped out by his outrage.

He digs his foot further into Kuroko, hearing the choked sounds of pain, watching Kuroko seize his ankle and try to remove his foot.

Maybe letting go of his rationality might even turn out better for him. After all, Kuroko had it coming. No matter how much Mayuzumi tried to push him away, to distance himself, Kuroko would find a way to close in on him again. Always testing him. Always so annoying. Always so persistent. Always wanting to get  _closer_.

He had it  _coming._

It’s high time that Kuroko  _learned his lesson._

“P-please…” Kuroko struggles to speak, fighting just to form one word, “stop it…you—“ He claws at Mayuzumi with shaky hands, Mayuzumi’s foot like the edge of a blade piercing through his stomach.

“Shut.  _Up_ ,” Mayuzumi hisses.

He lets the cruel words slip out and lets all sympathy drain out of his heart.

Kuroko thrashes, pushing and striking against Mayuzumi’s leg.

“You—” Kuroko gasps sharply upon Mayuzumi adding more pressure.

“I’m not scared of anything when it comes to you.” Mayuzumi’s expression twists in fury, deranged like a monster. “You’re the  _last_  person I want to hear that from!”

Kuroko doesn’t know Mayuzumi in the  _slightest_. And he’s arrogant for believing he does.

Kuroko yelps, the pain nearly unbearable at this point. His fingers tremble against Mayuzumi’s ankle.

Mayuzumi  _never_ asked for this.  _Never_  asked for the stupid brat to interfere.

Kuroko summons up all his energy and elbows the other’s ankle as hard as he can, successfully breaking away from the hold. He collapses onto his knees onto the concrete. He has no time to even nurse his abdomen before Mayuzumi is forcefully pulling him up by his collar to meet gazes.

Kuroko rasps, finding it a bit difficult to catch his breath and look the other in the eye. Still, he’s not going to let himself be manhandled any further, and promptly knees Mayuzumi in the abdomen. Upon being dropped, Kuroko then throws an uppercut, hitting Mayuzumi squarely in the nose. In a matter of seconds, it starts oozing blood.

Kuroko kneels in pain, one hand on his abdomen. “We’re not getting…anywhere with this,” he wheezes out behind clenched teeth.

Mayuzumi just scowls at the ground, a hand pinching his bleeding nose and migraine causing excruciating pain. He doesn’t have the fucking patience for this. As much as he wants to crush Kuroko’s resolve and finally cut ties one and for all, Mayuzumi knows that it’s a futile effort. All he needs to do to remind himself of Kuroko’s perseverance is to replay their basketball match together, where Kuroko defied all odds and overwrote him. He has been nothing but a nuisance to Mayuzumi. He’s supposed to be a stain upon the floor, a shadow that’s eliminated in the obscurity.

There’s no room here for someone like Kuroko in his mind space, but Kuroko won’t have any of it. Kuroko has never been the type to bend to other people’s wills, and especially not to Mayuzumi. He has always stayed right here, right by Mayuzumi’s side. He has always rejected being silenced, and would only continue to do so. A shadow like Kuroko does not fade away into nothingness.

And Mayuzumi is fucking  _sick_  and  _tired_  of it.

If he cannot get the other to listen to him, then he’ll approach the problem differently. It was never a necessity for Mayuzumi to put forth the effort to make the other obey, but his blind rage drove him to do something that he wouldn’t have done in normal circumstances.

His eyes slide towards the edge of the rooftop.

Everything can be resolved if he just avoids it. He’s never needed to play the main character, because others seek out the trouble when he can watch from afar, away from conflict.

It’s always been that way. There’s no reason why the same method wouldn’t work.

He’s never needed to take needless initiatives. So why start now?

He can continue dreaming in peace. He wants to keep dreaming in peace. He  _will_ keep dreaming _in peace—_

Sleep. He just wants sleep. He just wants a dreamless sleep without the brat there to always bother him. He couldn’t care less about what Kuroko feels, and he thinks that if Kuroko rots away while waiting for him, then so be it.

“I better not see you again,” he bites out, sending one last glare.

He runs.

He jumps off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the thing is that I rewrote this chapter like four times and I’m so done I don’t wanna look at this anymore ugh  
> Thanks for reading and sticking with me _(:’3


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